Ott Tanak knows that the next three rallies could be decisive for him in his pursuit of the WRC world title and today he started this trio in the best possible way by winning Special Stage 1 of Rally Poland, the seventh round of the 2024 World Rally Championship.
The Hyundai Motorsport driver stopped the clock at 1:42.5 on the 2.50-kilometre Mikolajki Arena 1, finishing a full 1.00 second clear of teammate Thierry Neuville.
For Hyundai, therefore, an excellent start, but it is only a small step towards one of the weekends that, at least on paper, should see Toyota as favourites due to the nature of the surface of the event.
Tanak will be one of the favorites for the final victory, while Thierry Neuville will have to open all 7 special tests tomorrow and clean the floor by virtue of his position in the Drivers’ World Championship, the first. Not an easy task, especially on a surface that the Belgian doesn’t like. For this reason he will have to run on defense, trying to capitalize on everything he can to maintain the lead.
Behind the first two Hyundai i20 N Rally1s is the first Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, that of Elfyn Evans. The Welshman was 3 tenths slower than Neuville, but as many tenths quicker than his teammate Takamoto Katsuta, fourth in the second official GR Yaris Rally1.
The Top 5 is completed by the third i20 N Rally1, the one which this weekend is entrusted to the Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen. The former WRC2 champion is fifth, just 1 tenth faster than Adrien Fourmaux, sixth with the first Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid.
Kalle Rovanpera, called at the last moment by Toyota to replace the injured Sébastien Ogier, did not go beyond the seventh fastest time, 2.1 seconds behind Tanak’s best time, but given his position in the standings he is rightfully among the favourites. for the final victory.
The two Ford Pumas of Gregoire Munster and Martins Sesks close the Rally1 classification. The Dutchman is now a constant in this position, while the Latvian could show something interesting over the weekend, especially in the second laps of tomorrow’s special stages.
In WRC2, Oliver Solberg set the fastest time at the wheel of the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 of the TokSport team, ahead of the Italian Roberto Daprà, a splendid second in class ahead of the Citroen C3 Rally2 of Nikolay Gryazin and the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 of Sami Pajari.
Rally Poland will resume tomorrow morning with Special Stage 2, the 29.40-kilometer Stanczyki 1. The first car, the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 of Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe, will enter the test at 08:45 Italian time.
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