The Hyundai driver ended the Friday morning loop in fourth overall more than a minute adrift of rally leader Toyota’s Elfyn Evans after losing 41.9s to a spin on stage three.
Tanak was caught out by a patch of ice which spun his i20 N into a ditch. The 2019 world champion wasn’t the only driver to suffer, as team-mate Thierry Neuville, Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta and M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster all lost time on the same ice sheet.
Despite the time loss, Tanak says he doesn’t plan to alter his strategy given the introduction of the WRC’s new points structure that makes its debut this weekend.
In addition to points awarded based on Saturday night’s classification, a separate distribution of points is now available for Sunday. A crew can score a maximum of 12 points for topping the final leg and posting the fastest time on the Power Stage.
“No, we will still keep going. We have still got quite a bit to learn about the car to try and get it in a better shape. Let’s see how much extra we can do,” Tanak told Autosport when asked if he would change his strategy.
Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images
Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1
“I was obviously not giving enough respect to this place [where the ice was],” he added when asked about the spin. “I knew the place was there and I was just slightly a bit too fast.”
Tanak confirmed that Hyundai has solved the throttle issues he and his team-mates were battling last night.
He also revealed that he is feeling relatively comfortable in the upgraded i20 N on his competitive return with the brand following a year at M-Sport.
“This morning it [the car] has been running smooth,” he said.
“It is actually quite comfortable, and I would say I’m 80%. It is driving quite nicely, and I’m relaxed.
“The last part I don’t have yet it takes a bit more driving to get and understand the last push.”
