WRC Rally Poland: Mikkelsen wins after heartbreak for Tanak
Andreas Mikkelsen takes WRC win #2 on Rally Poland inheriting the lead after a dramatic final day with rain transforming the stages
Volkswagen Motorsport II pilot Andreas Mikkelsen survived the final day drama on Rally Poland today to take victory, with a heartbroken Ott Tanak slipping to second.
Mikkelsen had been 16.5 seconds adrift of Tanak going into the final two stages and seemingly beaten. However, with conditions changing overnight and rain making the stages treacherous, it was all about survival, and for Tanak, Baranowo 2 proved decisive, with the Estonian losing just over 40 seconds after picking up a front-right puncture.
That handed the lead to Mikkelsen and he eventually swept through to take the victory, his second in the WRC, by 26.2seconds.
"We pushed so hard all weekend. We gave everything. We knew it would be difficult. It was like a war in the previous stage. It was all about luck and we were the lucky ones. A weekend I will never forget,” Mikkelsen said.
“I'm sorry for Ott. I told him before this stage that I know how he feels - it happened to me in Sweden, but that is the way rallying is [sometimes],” added the Norwegian.
Tanak was involved in a thrilling three-way fight on Friday, trading times with Mikkelsen and Hyundai's Hayden Paddon.
Starting the leg third, having been 0.3secs slower than Thierry Neuville on Thursday night in the short Mikolajki Arena SSS, the Estonian was quickest in the first 'proper' test to put the DMACK WRT in P1. However, he then slipped back to second, and despite going quickest in SS4, ended the opening loop in third, losing another position in SS5 after 'only' going sixth quickest.
On the repeat loop, Tanak continued to push, and fastest times in SS6, SS7 and SS8 put him 3.2 seconds up on Mikkelsen and back into the lead. He then lost a few seconds in SS9, before setting the joint quickest time in SS10, the second blast through the 2.50km Mikolajki Arena SSS.
Starting Saturday's second leg with a 4.2second advantage, Tanak was unbeatable in the morning, making the most of his road position, to win all three stages and more than quadruple his lead to 18secs.
He then managed to eke it out in the afternoon, stretching his advantage to 19.5secs after Andreas Mikkelsen made a small error in SS16.
On Sunday he looked on course, despite the arrival of rain, ending the first loop still 18.3secs ahead. But then came the puncture in SS20, denying him a dream maiden win.
“I have nothing to say,” said a tearful Tanak at the finish. “One problem cost me. To be in such a position [second] means nothing.”
Meanwhile, Paddon was third, just hanging on and only 0.8s up on Neuville after struggling through the final two tests.
“I was really struggling with the conditions. It was very, very slippery [in SS21] and I had no confidence with the car,” Paddon confirmed. “That [the gap to Neuville] is much too close for comfort.”
Neuville, who won last time out in Sardinia, added: “I tried to be smooth and clean and bring it home and keep our position. I lost the rally because the pace notes on the first part were too slow and we had the puncture early on. Otherwise it was a perfect job.”
Behind, Jari-Matti Latvala was fifth, losing time on Friday when he felt “lost”, while VW team-mate and Championship leader, Sebastien Ogier had to settle for sixth, unable to fight after losing out due to his road position on days one and two.
“I wanted a bit of rain - but not this much. I don't think we would ever hope for these kinds of conditions. The last two stages were just about survival. Not maximum points, but we took what we could - eight points is better than nothing,” said the Frenchman, who also bagged an additional three points for winning the Power Stage.
Britain's Craig Breen was next up in seventh in his Abu Dhabi WRT-run DS 3 WRC car, more than a minute ahead of M-Sport duo Mads Ostberg and Eric Camilli in eighth and ninth. Camilli had been ahead of Ostberg, but lost a position after going off following the finish of SS20. He then had to limp through the Power Stage, Sady 2.
In WRC2, Teemu Suinen took the class victory – and tenth overall – with Esapekka Lappi losing the lead after getting a puncture in the same stage as Tanak. Lappi dropped to third, with Elfyn Evans second.
As for retirements, even though the last day proved dramatic, Dani Sordo was the only top runner that failed to get to the end, stopping in the penultimate test due to rear suspension damage. He had been running 10th in his Hyundai.
The World Rally Championship now heads to Finland next, with that event running from July 28-31.
