Ott Tänak
Estonia
·
WRC
Key Facts
Nationality
EST
Date of birth
15.10.1987
Birthplace
Kärla Parish, Estonia
Co-driver
First WRC rally
2009, Rally de Portugal
First WRC stage win
2012, Rally Sweden SS14
WRC stage wins
388
First WRC podium
2012, Rally d'Italia Sardegna
WRC podiums
52
First WRC win
2017, Rally d'Italia Sardegna
WRC wins
21
First WRC Wolf Power Stage win
2012, Rally de France
WRC Wolf Power Stage wins
22
WRC titles
1 (2019)
Previous teams
M-Sport Ford, Toyota
Website
www.otttanak.com
About Ott Tänak
Ott Tänak has carved his place among rallying’s elite with raw speed, relentless determination, and a world title to his name. Following in the footsteps of Estonian WRC legend Markko Märtin, Tänak’s career began on his home island of Saaremaa, where he first got behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Scirocco at just 14 years old. By 21, he had already secured the 2008 Estonian Rally Championship, piloting a Subaru Impreza. His WRC debut followed a year later, and he has been a force to be reckoned with ever since.
A season in the PWRC in 2010 as part of the Pirelli Driver Star Programme allowed Tänak to refine his speed. He competed in six rallies in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, clinching class victories in Finland and Wales. His rise continued in 2011 with a runner-up finish in SWRC and a stunning WRC debut in a Fiesta RS WRC at Wales Rally GB, where he finished sixth.
That performance secured Tänak a full-time M-Sport seat for 2012, but the season proved turbulent. While he claimed his first WRC stage win in Sweden and earned a maiden podium in Sardinia, inconsistency and crashes saw him dropped from the team at the end of the year.
After two years away from WRC’s top tier, including a stint in WRC2, Tänak returned to M-Sport in 2015. He took his second WRC podium in Poland, but his resilience was truly tested in Mexico, where he and co-driver Raigo Mõlder dramatically plunged into a lake. Against all odds, their Fiesta RS WRC was repaired overnight, and they continued the rally.
In 2016, Tänak partnered with DMACK, coming heartbreakingly close to his first victory in Poland before a late puncture gifted the win to Sébastien Ogier. Despite the disappointment, he ended the year with another podium at Wales Rally GB, cementing his reputation as a rising star.
The breakthrough finally came in 2017. Three podiums in the opening six rounds set the stage for a maiden victory at Rally Italia Sardegna, followed by a dominant win at ADAC Rallye Deutschland. Finishing third in the championship, he played a crucial role in M-Sport’s manufacturers’ title triumph.
A switch to Toyota Gazoo Racing in 2018 brought even more success. Four wins, including a hat-trick in Finland, Germany, and Turkey, saw him challenge Ogier for the title. However, reliability issues, including a damaged engine sump in Wales, ended his hopes.
Determined to make amends, Tänak was ruthless in 2019, taking three podiums in the first three rounds before launching a dominant campaign. By season’s end, he had ended Ogier’s reign and became Estonia’s first WRC champion.
With the title secured, Tänak shocked the service park by moving to Hyundai for 2020. However, his debut was disastrous, crashing out of Rallye Monte-Carlo in spectacular fashion. The COVID-19 pandemic shortened the season, and technical issues in Turkey ended any hopes of defending his title. A home victory in Estonia was a rare bright spot.
The struggles continued in 2021, with Tänak managing just one win at Arctic Rally Finland. Suspension failures in Sardinia and Portugal cost him valuable points, and he finished well adrift in the title fight.
Hyundai’s fortunes improved in 2022, with Tänak delivering wins in Sardinia, Finland, and Ypres. He pushed Rovanperä for the championship but ultimately finished runner-up.
In 2023, Tänak made a high-profile return to M-Sport, taking an early victory in Sweden. However, mechanical gremlins plagued his season, with reliability issues in Mexico, Acropolis, and Sardinia. An engine failure at his home rally in Estonia added to his frustrations, though he did take a late-season win in Chile.
Seeking a fresh start, Tänak rejoined Hyundai in 2024, where he battled team-mate Thierry Neuville for the title until the final round in Japan. A costly crash on the final day ended his championship hopes, handing the crown to Neuville. Despite victories in multiple rounds, mistakes in Sweden and Finland proved costly in his pursuit of a second world title.
Ott Tänak
© WRC