‘Crucial point’ in championship says Tanak ahead of home Estonia Rally

Hyundai’s Ott Tanak has claimed this point in the World Rally Championship is ‘crucial’ as he prepares to race at his home event, Rally Estonia, this weekend.

Feature image credit: Jaanus Ree // Red Bull Content Pool

On the back of his win in Greece for the Acropolis Rally Greece, pipping Toyota’s eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier to victory, Tanak will head home, alongside co-driver Martin Järveoja, for the next round of the 2025 season.

Tanak’s home rally, Estonia, will mark the second half of the championship and the next two events; Estonia and Finland, are some of the fastest gravel rallies on the calendar.

As such, Tanak has prepared for his home rally by competing in the Lõuna-Eesti Ralli last weekend.

He has claimed, the Estonian rally is ‘a crucial point’ for the championship as he sits third in the drivers’ championship, behind Toyota’s Elfyn Evans and Ogier: the latter will be absent this weekend. He said:

“These events are purely performance based, meaning they ask a lot from the car – the gaps will be small and speeds will be high. The setup needs to be very precise and balanced, and the aerodynamic package also plays a big role.

“We’ve had a busy last week preparing for the rally as we need to do our best in Estonia. This is a crucial point in the championship fight, we can’t let it slip away.”

Evans hoping for some rain to help open the road at Rally Estonia

Tanak has enjoyed success in his previous outing at his home event having secured the win on Estonia’s debut to the calendar, alongside the late Craig Breen who cliched second over Ogier, in third.

Hyundai have confirmed they have undergone tests in both Finland and Estonia to prepare for the Estonian rally as the sport transitions from the rocky gravel of Greece, last time out, to the smooth dirt roads of Estonia.

The team will be heading into Estonia with momentum behind them having secured a win in Greece, last time out with Tanak, and podium finishes in the Portugal and Italy. Hyundai also have a good track record of the event, with seven podiums sealed since its debut and Tanak’s win.

“We’ve just finished three rough rallies where we showed some strong performance,” said Tanak. “Now, we move on to a different challenge – Rally Estonia is the first of two really fast and smooth gravel rounds, which I personally enjoy because they are the type of roads I learnt to compete on.”

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Read more WRC here:

• Evans hoping for some rain to help open the road at Rally Estonia
• WRC Rally Estonia: the latest weather forecast
• WRC Rally Finland: Entry List
• Toyota to debut GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept at Rally Finland
• WRC 2025 half-season report: Sami Pajari
• WRC 2025 Rally Estonia: Entry List

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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.