Tänak: “It’s simpler now”

Ott Tänak aurait pu s’emparer des commandes du Championnat avec une 4e victoire consécutive, mais son abandon au Wales Rally GB a porté un coup dur à ses chances de titre. Le pilote Toyota 23 points behind the leader Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) avant d’aborder le Rally of Spain, penultimate event of the 2018 season.

“We still have a chance at the Championship and we’re not going to give up. In a way, it's easier now. We have to win the last two rallies and see what happens.”, says Ott Tänak.

The Estonian can be optimistic about his potential in Catalonia after reaching the last step of the podium in the 2017 edition.

“I am confident about our level of performance, whether on asphalt or dirt because we were competitive on both types of surfaces, underlines Ott Tänak. However, we are always trying to improve and we were able to work on several things during pre-event testing to put everything together before the rally. »

Toyota Gazoo Racing is playing big at the end of the season as the Japanese manufacturer is competing for the Drivers' and Manufacturers' titles, notably leading the brands ranking with 20 points ahead of Hyundai.

“Spain should be a good test for us, assures Team Principal Tommi Mäkinen. We made several changes to the car to make it perform better on loose dirt and we know our car performed well on asphalt. Friday will be very important, especially with our positions on the road, to ensure a good situation for the rest of the rally. The last two rallies will be exciting to follow. Ott will attack as much as possible, but our opponents will too. »