Pace and potential unrewarded go for Tänak in Germany

Following what has been an impressive event for M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Ott Tänak at this weekend’s ADAC Rallye Deutschland – claiming his first two stage victories on asphalt and continuously challenging the manufacturer drivers – the Estonian withdrew from the event after the final service to give him the best possible chance going into the FIA World Rally Championship’s forthcoming rounds.

Despite being forced to Rally 2 after an incident on SS12, the Estonian was in ninth place overall before withdrawing. Elsewhere however, there was further misfortune for team-mate Evgeny Novikov who retired from the event on SS13.

Embarking on the final day of competition, M-Sport’s duo were set to tackle two passes of Dhrontal – putting all that they have learnt into practice on a stage that incorporated many of the event’s characteristics with a mix of tight and twisting vineyards and open country roads – before the Circus Maximus Power Stage through the cobbled streets of Trier.

Having set the stages alight with two stage wins on the previous day, Tänak and co-driver Kuldar Sikk were back to business with more impressive times on Day 3. Despite yesterday’s encounter with a ‘Hinkelstein’, the Estonian set the fourth fastest time through SS13 and piloted his Ford Fiesta RS WRC to a further fourth fastest time through the second pass (SS14).

With an impressive showing on asphalt this weekend, the team made the tactical decision to withdraw Tänak from the event after the final service to give the youngster the best possible opportunity going into the forthcoming events.

Elsewhere, using the rally to learn the stages and perfect the set-up of their Ford Fiesta RS WRC following an unlucky early retirement on the first day of competition, Novikov and co-driver Nicolas Klinger encountered further misfortune on the final day. Despite making it to the end of SS13 with the 11th fastest time, the Russian was forced to retire after developing a problem with the rear differential through the stage.

Ott Tänak (DNF) said:

“I am satisfied with the speed we had this weekend. We got our first stage wins on Tarmac but I am really disappointed with what happened on the Baumholder stage yesterday evening [SS12]. OK, I was trying quite hard and wanted to do well, but that is how it ended.

“The times have been good so I have to be happy with that for now. I have a good feeling with the car on Tarmac at the moment. The next Tarmac event will be in France and I also won there with the [Fiesta] S2000 [as part of the S-WRC] last year so hopefully we can do well there too.”

Evgeny Novikov (DNF) said:

“We had a problem with the rear differential on the first stage this morning [S13] – nothing we could do.

“Of course this has not been the best rally for us, but we have to keep going and keep fighting. We got some good experience of the stages and how to set up the car – not 100 per cent unfortunately, but something at least.

“Now we just have to look ahead to the next event [Wales Rally GB] where we can hopefully be back fighting where we need to be.”