Hyundai driver Tänak was one of the main favourites in the gravel rally, but he was forced to retire immediately on the first special stage on Friday morning.
It wasn’t due to a crash or a technical fault with the Hyundai. The Estonian driver collided with a deer, causing the radiator to break.
Tänak was driving at nearly 190 kilometres per hour when the deer leapt onto the road.
“It was really bad luck for us today,” Tänak lamented.
“It was on a straight. Just for statistics, we checked from onboard, and the moment the deer put its head out from the bush until the impact, it was 0.26 seconds,” Tänak explained.
“So, it was very short. There was no time to react and avoid the situation,” the Estonian driver added.
Tänak can continue the competition, but on Saturday, he has no stakes on the Polish gravel roads. Tänak is saving all his efforts for Sunday, where a maximum of 12 points is up for grabs.
However, the task is not easy, as Tänak will have a leading starting position on Sunday.
“We need to try. But like we could see today, Thierry (Neuville) is losing like a second per kilometre opening the road. So, it seems difficult even for Sunday,” the Estonian star predicted.
