The Estonian Hyundai driver is still in the fight for victory, currently holding fourth place. With a 12.8-second gap to rally leader Elfyn Evans, Tänak remains within striking distance if things go his way on the final day.
However, on Saturday, he was unable to match the pace of the top three – Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, and Thierry Neuville.
“The day actually started quite well. And I had a positive feeling to start the day on the first stage. But unfortunately, after that, we lost some speed and for the rest of the day we tried to maximise and do everything we could,” Tänak summarised.
“That’s where we are at the moment. One more day to go.”
Tänak encountered a minor issue during the day as coolant from his Hyundai’s radiator sprayed onto the windscreen. The problem appeared to be linked to a leaking reservoir cap.
When asked if the issue had affected his pace, Tänak remained cool in his response.
“I’m not sure it’s the cap which is costing the speed,” Tänak said.
“If it was that easy, it would have been simple. But anyhow, it’s been a tricky day.”
With just three stages remaining on Sunday, the gaps at the top are still tight. There are also a fair number of kilometres left to run, with the nearly 30-kilometre-long Västervik stage being tackled twice in the morning.
Despite this, Tänak was not overly optimistic about his chances heading into the final day.
“I think with the current pace we’ve had this afternoon, it doesn’t look too promising. But for sure, we try to keep the pace we can, and let’s see what it brings,” Tänak admitted.
