Ott Tänak
Ott Tänak (born 15 October 1987) is an Estonian rally driver. He is the 2019 World Rally Champion. Tänak made his WRC debut in 2009 and has since competed for several teams, including M-Sport Ford, Toyota Gazoo Racing, and Hyundai Motorsport. He has won 13 WRC rallies and is one of the most successful rally drivers of his generation.
Tänak was born in Kärla, Estonia. He began his rallying career at the age of 17 and quickly rose through the ranks. In 2009, he made his WRC debut with the Stobart M-Sport Ford team. He finished 12th in his first rally and scored his first WRC points in his second rally.
In 2010, Tänak moved to the M-Sport Ford team. He finished sixth in the championship standings and won his first WRC rally, the Rally of Finland. In 2011, he finished fourth in the championship standings and won two more rallies, the Rally of Sweden and the Rally of Greece.
In 2012, Tänak moved to the Toyota Gazoo Racing team. He finished third in the championship standings and won three rallies, the Rally of Mexico, the Rally of Portugal, and the Rally of Australia. In 2013, he finished second in the championship standings and won two more rallies, the Rally of Finland and the Rally of Germany.
In 2014, Tänak moved to the Hyundai Motorsport team. He finished third in the championship standings and won four rallies, the Rally of Monte Carlo, the Rally of Sweden, the Rally of Finland, and the Rally of Australia. In 2015, he finished second in the championship standings and won one rally, the Rally of Poland.
In 2016, Tänak moved back to the M-Sport Ford team. He finished third in the championship standings and won two rallies, the Rally of Argentina and the Rally of Poland. In 2017, he finished fourth in the championship standings and won one rally, the Rally of Sweden.
In 2018, Tänak moved back to the Toyota Gazoo Racing team. He won the championship standings and won five rallies, the Rally of Sweden, the Rally of Portugal, the Rally of Finland, the Rally of Turkey, and the Rally of Australia.
In 2019, Tänak defended his championship title, winning four rallies, the Rally of Chile, the Rally of Portugal, the Rally of Finland, and the Rally of Germany.
Tänak is one of the most successful rally drivers of his generation. He has won 13 WRC rallies and is one of only a handful of drivers to have won the championship twice. He is known for his aggressive driving style and his ability to adapt to different conditions.
Here are some additional facts about Ott Tänak:
- He is the first Estonian driver to win the WRC championship.
- He is the youngest driver to win the WRC championship since Colin McRae in 1995.
- He is the first driver to win the WRC championship with two different manufacturers.
- He has won rallies on all three surfaces used in the WRC: gravel, asphalt, and snow.
- He is one of only a handful of drivers to have won the Rally of Finland three times.
Tänak is a rising star in the world of rallying and is sure to continue to make a name for himself in the years to come.
