Ott Tänak: “No need to attack more”

Second, less than 15" behind leader Sébastien Ogier, Ott Tänak had a very solid second stage at the Monte-Carlo Rally and does not feel he has to increase his level of attack to hope for victory.

Published on 26/01/2018 à 21:17

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Si Sébastien Ogier remains a leader in Rally Monte Carlo at the end of the second day of racing, le champion du monde est sous la menace directe de son ancien équipier chez M-Sport, Ott Tänak.

L’Estonien du Toyota Gazoo Racing s’est adjugé à deux reprises le meilleur temps dans la spéciale de Vitrolles et a pu revenir à 14″9 d’Ogier à la faveur notamment d’une erreur du Français dans l’ES7, resté bloqué durant plusieurs secondes dans un fossé à la sortie d’une épingle après un début de tête-à-queue.

For Tänak, it is consistency more than performance which should decide the outcome of this opening round of the 2018 season. “There are a lot of mistakes from others, so we just have to be very smart with our driving, admits the resident of Tommi Mäkinen’s team.

There is absolutely no need to attack anymore. The rally will not be decided by pure speed alone. It's more about consistency and smart decisions. »

Learning the Yaris

Flagship transfer of the off-season in WRC, Ott Tänak makes his racing debut this week with the Yaris WRC, discovered last December on snow, then on asphalt roads before the start of the race.

The first kilometers in competition thus confirm the significant potential of the Tänak – Toyota tandem. “It’s very positive to finish the first full day in this position, comments the Estonian.

We improved a lot today, and it's nice to gain confidence with each stage. I want to continue in the same way, which is to continue learning all the time and understanding the car better. »

The Monte-Carlo Rally will resume tomorrow at 8:08 a.m. with SS9 Agnières en Devouly – Corps, 29,16 km long and which will be followed live on our website with our live text.