SS16: Cool and calm for Tänak
ADAC Rallye Deutschland leader Ott Tänak eased through Sunday morning’s tricky opening speed test in the Mosel vineyards as his Toyota Gazoo Racing team protected their clean sweep of the top three positions.
With no pressure on his shoulders, Tänak was seventh fastest in the 28.06km Grafschaft special stage. His lead over team-mate Kris Meeke stood at 25.1sec with three more tests remaining in this 10th round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
“Clean run and no worries,” said the Estonian Yaris driver. “There are many new sections so you really need to focus.”
Third quickest for Meeke was sufficient to increase his advantage over Jari-Matti Latvala to almost 20sec, the Finn more than 16sec off the pace of stage winner Thierry Neuville.
Second fastest for Dani Sordo, completing a Hyundai i20 1-2 in the stage, enabled the Spaniard to cut his deficit to Latvala to 16.1sec but the Finn was unconcerned.
“Dani was on the attack and I just took it steadily. No panic. It’s OK," explained Latvala.
Andreas Mikkelsen and Esapekka Lappi exchanged places as the Norwegian dropped more than 10sec when he went off the road, allowing Lappi to move up to sixth in the lead Citroën C3.
After SS19: Ott Tänak wins third Rallye Deutschland
Ott Tänak won his third consecutive ADAC Rallye Deutschland on Sunday afternoon to take another huge stride towards a maiden FIA World Rally Championship title.
The Estonian claimed his fourth victory in five rounds at the asphalt fixture, leading Toyota to its first clean sweep of the podium since 1993 and the first in the WRC for four years.
Driving a Yaris, Tänak finished 20.8sec clear of Ulsterman Kris Meeke, with Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala a further 15.2sec behind in third.
Thierry Neuville won the live TV Wolf Power Stage to claim five bonus points in a Hyundai i20. Teemu Suninen drove his Ford Fiesta to second and four points, with Latvala taking three points in third. Meeke and Sébastien Ogier, driving a Citroën C3, took two and one point respectively.
More news to follow.