Tanak looks to finish job and seal his first rally title

OTT Tanak wants to “finish the job” of securing his first ever world rally title with the Estonian taking a 17-point lead over Sebastien Ogier into this weekend’s Wales Rally GB.

The season’s third-last rally has a new start in Liverpool on Thursday before three tough days of forest driving with plenty of rain forecast and frequent fog complicating matters.

Ogier won in Turkey last month to trim Tanak’s advantage and set the stage for an enthralling season run-in with Thierry Neuville not totally out of it either, 30 points adrift.

Tanak’s Toyota broke down in Turkey but in what could prove pivotal to the destination of the 2019 crown, he returned to pick up five precious points in the closing power stage.

“The gap in the championship is closer now, but we have three rallies to go and we know that we were fast on each of them last year,” Tanak, 31, told Toyota’s official website.

“Now we just have to finish the job, starting in Wales,” added Tanak who will be mindful of last year’s painful outcome when he was forced to retire in the lead after a heavy smash.

Five wins from 11 rallies and top of the timesheets in 97 stages is evidence of Tanak’s dominance this year.

While he has the form and speed to seal the deal, against him is the fact that he has yet to win any of the three remaining rallies.

But despite his lack of success in Wales he says it’s a rally he likes.

“The roads are fast and they have a nice flow, but the conditions make it difficult, especially because the grip levels are constantly changing at every corner. You need confidence in your car on every rally, but it’s in these kind of conditions where it can really help to make a big difference.”

Five-time Welsh winner Ogier has just one clear aim this weekend, “to maintain the pace from Turkey and to put as much pressure on Ott as possible”.

“That’s something I’m well capable of doing,” warned the seven-time world champion.

The one unknown for the Frenchman is that his Citroen team have not won in Wales since 2010.

While Neuville’s title hopes are slim, his team Hyundai are 19 points clear of Toyota in the manufacturers’ championship.

The 75th edition of the rally with over 300km spread over 22 special stages – including nighttime action – has a new base at Llandudno on the north Wales coast.

After Wales, the final acts of the 2019 WRC season are played out at Catalunya and Australia.