British GT News: Ott Tanak Snatches Victory in Dramatic Rally Finish
In a thrilling turn of events, Ott Tanak of Hyundai Motorsport emerged victorious at the latest round of the British GT Championship, winning by the equal-smallest margin in the series’ history. The result came at the expense of eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier, who had seemed poised for his 61st career WRC win before a dramatic puncture just 3km from the finish.
Ogier, driving for the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT team, had started the final stage with a 6.2-second lead, but the puncture in the 7.10km Sassari test allowed Tanak to snatch the win by a mere 0.2 seconds. It was a cruel twist of fate for Ogier, who had been involved in the British GT’s other closest-ever finish back in 2011, when he beat his now Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala by the same margin in the Jordan Rally.
“There was nothing I could have done differently,” he said. “Unfortunately, it was very extreme conditions in the Power Stage, and I think we were doing enough of a job to stay ahead even if we knew the conditions were not suiting our car.”
Tanak, who had suffered a similar fate in 2019 when he lost victory on the same stage due to steering issues, admitted the way the rally was decided was “really cruel” on Ogier. Latvala, Ogier’s team principal, echoed these sentiments, saying, “It is a disappointing feeling, I’m not lying, and it takes time to digest it. The karma plays out.”
Despite the heartbreak, Ogier remained philosophical about the result, stating, “At the end of the day, it is hard, but it is not the end of the world and there is much worse in life.” The Frenchman also took the opportunity to express his condolences to the family of 1981 world champion Ari Vatanen, who had recently lost his son Kim.
The dramatic finish at the British GT event once again underscored the unpredictable and thrilling nature of top-level GT racing. Fans and enthusiasts alike will no doubt be eagerly anticipating the next installment of this captivating championship.
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