Tänak set the fastest time on each of his three runs. The Estonian drove the 5.10-kilometre Lubiewo shakedown in a best time of 2:12.5, giving him an astonishing average speed of 139 kilometres per hour.
“It’s a rally I like a lot, but I have never been able to win it. It’s a target I’d like to fight for, but let’s see what is possible during the weekend,” Tänak said.
Tänak beat his teammate Neuville by 1.1 seconds. Neuville leads the championship standings and will act as the road opener on Friday’s stages in Poland.
M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux warmed up with the third fastest time, ahead of Hyundai’s Andreas Mikkelsen. Rally debutant in the main class, Martins Sesks, secured fifth place.
Sesks was surprisingly competitive, especially considering his Ford Puma Rally1 car does not feature a hybrid unit.
“Of course, the car is incredible. Even the sounds of the car are incredible! We are just learning and trying to understand what is happening. I’m driving and understanding that it is capable of so much more than I understand,” Sesks described.
Toyota drivers were left in sixth, seventh, and eighth places on the shakedown, with Elfyn Evans (+2.7), Kalle Rovanperä (+3.3), and Takamoto Katsuta (+3.8) respectively.
The shakedown did not reflect the nature of the actual rally stages. However, it indicated that Rovanperä faces a tough challenge in the fast gravel rally over the weekend.
The Finnish star arrived in Poland on an urgent call on Tuesday evening after his teammate Sébastien Ogier had an accident right at the start of the recce.
The Polish round, returning to the WRC after a seven-year hiatus, starts on Thursday evening with a short super special stage.
Rally Poland Shakedown results:
| POS | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | 2:12.5 |
| 2. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | 2:13.6 |
| 3. | Adrien Fourmaux | Ford | 2:14.3 |
| 4. | Andreas Mikkelsen | Hyundai | 2:14.8 |
| 5. | Martins Sesks | Ford | 2:15.0 |
| 6. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | 2:15.2 |
| 7. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | 2:15.8 |
| 8. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | 2:16.3 |
| 9. | Gregoire Munster | Ford | 2:17.2 |
| 10. | Nikolay Gryazin | Citroen | 2:24.1 |
Rally Poland itinerary (CET)
Thursday, 27 June 10:01 Shakedown: Lubiewo (5.10 km) 19:05 SS1: Mikołajki Arena 1 (2.50 km) Friday, 28 June 08:45 SS2: Stańczyki 1 (29.40 km) 10:20 SS3: Wieliczki 1 (12.90 km) 11:10 SS4: Olecko 1 (13.20 km) 12:40 Tyre Fitting Zone (15 min) 14:05 SS5: Stańczyki 2 (29.40 km) 15:40 SS6: Wieliczki 2 (12.90 km) 16:30 SS7: Olecko 2 (13.20 km) 19:00 SS8: Mikołajki Arena 2 (2.50 km) Saturday, 29 June 08:30 SS9: Świętajno 1 (18.50 km) 09:45 SS10: Gołdap 1 (19.90 km) 10:35 SS11: Czarne 1 (22.40 km) 13:25 SS12: Mikołajki Arena 3 (2.50 km) 14:00 Service (40 min) 16:00 SS13: Świętajno 2 (18.50 km) 17:15 SS14: Gołdap 2 (19.90 km) 18:05 SS15: Czarne 2 (22.40 km) Sunday, 30 June 09:00 SS16: Gmina Mrągowo 1 (20.80 km) 10:05 SS17: Mikołajki 1 (10.73 km) 12:20 SS18: Gmina Mrągowo 2 (20.80 km) 14:15 SS19: Mikołajki 2 (10.73 km) *Power Stage
