Tänak encountered a heavy compression during the Lankamaa stage which caused damage to his Puma Rally1’s sump guard and engine. He switched to EV mode before exiting the stage via an access road.
A statement from the British team said: “Due to impact damage on SS3, sadly we have been left with no choice but to retire Ott's car from Rally Finland.”
Tänak led the rally after the Harju super special stage on Thursday evening but had slipped to third overall after Friday’s opener. He also suffered engine failure during shakedown at the previous round in Estonia last month but was able to complete the rally, albeit with a five-minute time penalty after a replacement had been fitted.
“Of course we are disappointed, after Estonia this isn’t how we wanted this week to go,” Tänak said. “It’s a shame we can’t continue but the car is too damaged for us to carry on.
“Now it’s time to have a break after a busy few months, then we will focus fully on Greece in September.”
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