Ott Tanak was the only driver able to apply pressure on runaway world champion Kalle Rovanpera this year. Had Hyundai delivered the fully fettled i20 N Rally1 with which it ended the season at the start of 2022, the title battle could have been a different story.
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Despite reliability issues and complications within the team, prompting a switch to M-Sport, the 2019 champion extracted the most and more from his equipment to win in Sardinia, Finland and Belgium. His Finland triumph was among the best of his career as Tanak, on the ragged edge, tamed his wild-handling car and defeated Rovanpera on the Toyota man’s home turf.
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