Tänak entered a round of the Estonian national rally series to fine-tune the setup of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car before Rally Estonia, which takes place in two weeks.
Last year’s test event in Estonia ended in disappointment when Tänak crashed out on just the second stage. This time, however, he reached the finish without any major issues – and claimed a thoroughly expected overall win.
The Lõuna-Eesti Rally featured ten special stages, and Tänak was fastest on every one of them. On the final stage, the Hyundai star even allowed himself a moment to enjoy the run.
“That last stage was actually pretty fun. A light rain had settled the dust, which gave a bit more grip. I was even able to enjoy it a little. All in all, it was definitely worth coming,” Tänak said in an interview with Estonian station Ring FM.
During the rally, Tänak gave a rather amusing response when Ring FM’s rally radio asked what he had specifically been testing in the event.
“We’re testing whatever needs to be tested to make the car go fast. Every test day is different. Usually you focus on what’s weak. Let’s just say, at the moment, there’s plenty to work on,” Tänak replied.
Just a week ago, Tänak celebrated his first win of the WRC season with a dominant drive at the Acropolis Rally. Since then, his schedule has been packed: on Monday, he tested the Hyundai in central Finland at the team’s test area, and on Thursday he continued preparations in Estonia. The test rally followed on Friday and Saturday.
Now, Tänak will enjoy a short break of just over a week before recce begins for his home rally. Rally Estonia runs from 17 to 20 July around Tartu.
Tänak will start his home event from third place in the WRC standings.
