Dakar Rally News: Ott Tanak Crashes Out of Rally Estonia, Escapes Unharmed
In a dramatic turn of events, Ott Tanak, a top contender in the World Rally Championship (WRC), found himself involved in a high-speed crash during the Rally Estonia, a national event that also hosts the fourth round of the European Rally Championship this weekend.
Tanak and his co-driver Martin Jarveoja were driving a WRC-specification Hyundai i20 Rally1 car in the national class of the event, using the opportunity to gain additional mileage ahead of the upcoming WRC rounds in Latvia and Finland. However, their plans were derailed when Tanak lost control of his i20 N at high speed during the Raanitsa stage, leading to a dramatic roll before the car came to rest in a ditch.
“While participating here at Rally Estonia, we had an accident on today’s first stage SS2 Raanitsa,” Tanak wrote on his social media. “Due to the nature of the crash, we’ve been taken for medical checks at the hospital in Tartu. Both myself and Martin are feeling well and we’re ok. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to participate further on Rally Estonia due to the amount of work needed to repair the car.”
Footage captured on social media has confirmed the extent of the damage to the Hyundai i20 N, rendering it unable to continue competing in the Rally Estonia. Tanak and Jarveoja were promptly taken to a hospital in Tartu, the host city of the rally, for medical checks, but the 2019 world champion later confirmed on social media that they were both unharmed.
This latest incident continues a run of misfortune for Tanak, who also crashed out of stage two at last weekend’s Rally Poland after being unable to avoid a collision with a deer that had jumped out onto the road.
Despite the setback, Hyundai is set to compete in another national rally next week, with Esapekka Lappi set to enter the Lietuva Rally in Lithuania as the team prepares for Tanak’s WRC return in Latvia later this month.
As the WRC season progresses, teams and drivers will be eager to put this incident behind them and focus on the upcoming challenges, including the highly anticipated events in Latvia and Finland, where Tanak will be looking to regain his momentum in the championship battle.
🔗 Source