Estonia's Ott Tänak earns shock win in Rally Sardinia
In a surprise final-stage twist on Sunday, Estonian rally driver Ott Tänak (Hyundai) won the WRC Rally Italia Sardegna, or Rally Sardinia, snatching victory by a hair from leader Sebastien Ogier (Toyota).
Tänak won by a record-tying margin of just 0.2 seconds, after Ogier, set to secure a record fifth win in Sardinia and going into the Wolf Power Stage on Sunday heading the Estonian driver by 6.6 seconds, suffered a tire puncture just kilometers away from the finish line.
Dramatic showdown Learn more https://t.co/ZDZbU40hHd
— World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) June 2, 2024
Hyundai teammate Thierry Neuville had returned to the road on Sunday after having driven off the road the day before, starting out the final day with two solid stage wins.
Prior to the power stage, Tänak also won the penultimate stage, leaving just 0.2 seconds separating him from his teammate in Sunday's standings. According to Dirtfish, the Estonian driver had been "pushing hard on Sunday morning – but with the focus on beating [Neuville] to maximum Sunday points, rather than to chase down Ogier for victory."
Tänak went into the Wolf Power Stage looking certain to place second overall, but Ogier, who had been leading the rally since Saturday afternoon, punctured a tire just a few kilometers before the finish line, finishing 8.8 seconds behind the Estonian driver and, with that, boosting the latter to first place overall.
Split by just 0.2s, this was the moment we realised @OttTanak took the win! #WRC #RallyItaliaSardegna @OfficialWRC pic.twitter.com/5bX06uBXop
— Hyundai Motorsport (@HMSGOfficial) June 2, 2024
Ott Tänak and co-driver Martin Järveoja won Rally Sardinia with an overall time of 3:06:05.6.
Following the Estonian duo in second and third were France's Sebastien Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais (+0.2) and Spain's Daniel Sordo and co-driver Candido Carrera (+2:25.8).
Tänak picked up a total of 25 points in Sardinia, earning 15 points on Saturday, six points on Sunday and another four points in the power stage.
To date, the Estonian driver has racked up 104 points, tying him with the U.K.'s Elfyn Evans in the current WRC rankings. Neuville remains in the lead with 122 points to date.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
