Ott Tänak admitted to being in harmony with the terrain and the car in Chile

You are the first driver to win in Chile. What made the difference?

I think it was important to find both the feeling and the confidence on these difficult new stages. At first, it was very hard to feel where the limit was. Luckily, I think we were the first to understand what type of setting to use and what pace to adopt.

For me, the difference was made on Friday afternoon. In harmony with the terrain and the car, we managed to open up a gap. This allowed us to have a certain margin and no longer have to attack at full speed. We were able to breathe a little better.

Once in the lead, you seemed to manage the situation, almost easily...

It was anything but easy! When we found ourselves in the rain and fog during the last special stage on Saturday, with a car equipped with hard tires and very steep settings, I can tell you that it was very complicated. It felt like we were on ice and it was really difficult to finish without making a mistake.

After the disillusionment experienced in Corsica and Argentina, was it vital to win here?

Absolutely ! We had a pair of disappointing rallies where although we were able to fight for victory, the end result did not live up to our expectations.

It's sometimes discouraging for the team not to achieve results, and it was important to win in Chile for the engineers and mechanics. Success means positive emotions. It's the best motivation to continue working even harder! Recently we have lost quite a few points. It was essential to score this result.

Discover the full report and analysis of the Rally from Chile, produced by our special correspondent in Concepcion, in issue 2216 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version and on newsstands.