Toyota’s Ott Tänak has taken a dominant victory at home on board his Yaris WRC at the 2019 Rally Estonia this past Sunday. Andreas Mikkelsen, driving a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC test unit, had to settle for second at 1.03 seconds behind the local hero. 

Finn driver Esapekka Lappi, at the wheel of a Citroën WRC, hasn’t stopped fighting with his Norwegian adversary until the very end. He completed the podium at one minute and a half behind the winner. 

Elfyn Evans (Ford Fiesta WRC) has come very close to a podium position but only managed fourth in the end. Irishman Craig Breen, who will be competing with Mikkelsen and Thierry Neuville for the South Korean team in Rally Finland, was fifth. Legend Markko Martin completed the top six after delighting fans with a great performance on board a Ford Fiesta WRC. 

Tänak wins 15 of the 17 stages at Rally Estonia 2019

The driver from Kärla has taken his job in Rally Estonia very seriously despite this not being a championship round. So has been his dedication that he has claimed most of the rally’s stages sealing the best time in 15 out of the 17 specials. 

After his master class, the Estonian has become the great favourite to win the next appointment of the 2019 WRC Calendar, the Rally Finland, which is to take place between the 1st and the 4th of August.

The characteristics of both the Estonian and the Finnish rallies are very similar, in particular as it relates to their high-speed gravel roads and big jumps.

The 2019 Rally Estonia was a promotional event but posed all the same challenges and technical difficulties as any other date of the Rally Championship. All the four major manufacturers of the WRC (Toyota, Ford, Hyundai and Citroën), have therefore taken the opportunity to participate in the event. 

Solberg crushes R5 rivals 

Immediately after Martin came Oliver Solberg, who is currently sixth in the overall standings. Son of 2003 world champion, Peter Solberg, and at just 17 years of age, he has dazzled the crows once again with his speed, skill and maturity at the wheel.

This true child prodigy has imposed himself among the R5s on board a Polo GTI R5 and he has done it with tremendous ease. Drivers of the size of Teemu Suninen or Takamoto Katsuka at the wheel of the new Ford Fiesta R5, or of Nikolay Gryazin and his Skoda Fabia R5 have fallen to his knees. 

On the first 15-kilometre stage, Solberg Jr. finished just 3,7 seconds from Lappi, a true feat considering the great performance difference between both their vehicles. At times during the 20019 Rally Estonia the young driver was even able to keep up with the missiles competing at the WRC. Just outstanding!

Solberg has become a very strong candidate to sign up for the World Rally Championship right since his winning debut at the European Rally.

Images of ‘2019 Rally Estonia’: Toyota WRC & Oliver Solberg Twitter.