Tanak takes WRC Rally Portugal lead over Ogier

Hyundai’s Ott Tanak now stands as the rally leader for the World Rally Championship’s Rally Portugal, leading Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier by seven seconds. 

Feature image credit: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool

Hyundai’s Tanak has snatched the rally lead from Toyota’s Elfyn Evans after the first full day of action in Portugal as the Welshman dropped down the order, having taken the worst of the conditions as the initial road sweeper. 

The Estonian put in a strong performance as he shared the stage wins across the second day of action, tallying up a total of four wins on Friday (SS2, SS3, SS9 and SS11). 

He was accompanied by his closest rival, Ogier, who tallied up three stage wins (SS6, SS10 and SS12), and the eight-time world champion finds himself only seven seconds off the back of the leading Hyundai. 

Adrien Fourmaux, Hyundai, became the first retirement of the weekend as the Frenchman hit a hidden rock at a hairpin, damaging his front suspension. He was forced to retire immediately. 

Evans takes overnight WRC Rally Portugal lead

How does the order stand up after Day 2?

Tanak was the fastest driver out on Friday, taking the overall rally lead over Ogier by seven seconds as Takamoto Katsuta climbed up into third place, 27.1 seconds off the back of the leading Hyundai. 

Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera completed the top four, in fourth, ahead of Hyundai’s defending champion, Thierry Neuville in fifth. 

Sami Pajari led the remaining two Toyota cars with his sixth-place finish, ahead of Thursday’s overnight leader, Elfyn Evans (seventh). 

Gregoire Munster was the fastest driver of the M-Sport Ford trio in eighth, leading the way ahead of Joshua McErlean in ninth. Martins Sesks, the last of the Rally1 runners, finished down in 26th. 

This followed a three-minute penalty for the Latvian, after a late start, and a heavy hit on stage nine, when he smacked into a dirt bank at a left-hand corner. 

Read more WRC here:

• Evans takes overnight WRC Rally Portugal lead
• Entry List revealed: 2025 WRC Rally Portugal
• EA reaches the ‘end of the road’ with WRC.
• Rovanpera wins WRC Rally Islas Canarias ahead of Ogier and Evans
• Rovanpera claims victory in WRC Rally Islas Canarias
• Joshua McErlean crashes on opening Sunday WRC stage Rally Islas Canarias

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.