Ott Tanak’s victory against Sebastien Ogier at the 2024 Central European Rally has injected fresh excitement into the WRC title race, setting the stage for a thrilling finale in Japan next month.
The drama-filled event unfolded from October 17 to 20, 2024, and saw Tanak, alongside co-driver Martin Jarveoja, clinch his second win of the season after a series of intense battles against formidable competitors, particularly Sebastien Ogier.
The 2024 Central European Rally was characterized by its demanding asphalt stages that spanned across three countries: Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany. The varied terrain tested all drivers’ skills as they navigated slippery conditions that required both speed and caution.
The rally kicked off with a vibrant start ceremony at Prague Castle, where Czech President Petr Pavel flagged off the competitors. The opening stages took place in the Czech Republic, featuring two challenging asphalt tests that set the tone for the competition.
Ogier emerged as the leader after Thursday evening, finishing just ahead of Thierry Neuville by a mere 0.9 seconds. The top five drivers were separated by only 2.1 seconds, highlighting the fierce competition that would characterize the event.
As Friday progressed, Neuville took charge, showcasing remarkable skill and speed which ultimately secured him two stage wins as he maintained a commanding lead by 6.4 seconds after the first full leg of the rally.
However, Ott Tanak was not far behind; he finished Friday just 7.8 seconds off Neuville’s pace, positioning himself as a serious contender for the win.
Saturday brought new challenges as rain-soaked roads and changing weather conditions complicated strategies for all teams. Neuville’s fortunes took a turn for the worse when he suffered two costly off-road incidents within minutes of each other during Saturday’s stages.
The mishaps dropped him from first to fourth place and allowed Ogier to regain the lead momentarily. The latter had been pushing hard to maintain his position but faced pressure from Tanak, who was determined to capitalize on any mistakes made by his rivals.
By Saturday evening, Ogier was leading again but had to contend with Tanak breathing down his neck as the tension escalated with both drivers fighting for every second on the tight and twisty German roads.
The final day of the rally began with Ott Tanak trailing Ogier by 5.2 seconds. However, everything changed during SS15 when Ogier made a critical error on a left-hand corner and crashed his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid into a tree.
The incident happened just 600 meters into the penultimate stage and forced Ogier to retire from the race, handing Tänak an unexpected lead. Tänak seized this opportunity with both hands, pushing his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid to its limits in the remaining stages.
The Estonian finished with a time of 2 hours, 37 minutes, and 34.6 seconds—7 seconds ahead of Elfyn Evans from Toyota, who finished in second place while Neuville managed to recover from his earlier setbacks to secure third place overall.
The 2024 Central European Rally victory not only marked Tänak’s second win of the year but also set up an exhilarating WRC title race between him and Neuville in Japan for the final round of the championship.
Ott Tanak has reduced Neuville’s championship lead from 29 points to just 25 points as they head into Rally Japan.
Meanwhile Takamoto Katsuta had an impressive outing after sitting out the previous round in Chile, finishing fourth overall at +1:21.0 behind Tänak. He performed exceptionally well on Super Sunday, winning both the Super Sunday classification and the Power Stage, which helped Toyota close the gap in the manufacturers’ standings.
Katsuta’s confidence grew throughout the rally , showcasing his ability to adapt quickly and perform under pressure
M-Sport’s Grégoire Munster finished fifth overall with a time of +3:41.9. His steady performance kept him in contention throughout the rally despite not being able to match the pace of the front-runners.
In WRC2 action, Nikolay Gryazin dominated his category with an impressive performance throughout the rally that saw him finish sixth overall at +9:17.6. He consistently recorded fastest stage times and built a substantial lead over his competitors by Saturday evening.
Gryazin’s victory in WRC2 marked his third triumph in that category this season and keeps him firmly in contention for the WRC2 title.
Meanwhile, Yohan Rossel faced difficulties during the rally after needing a strong performance to keep his WRC2 championship hopes alive but ultimately finished far behind due to multiple errors throughout the event.
Oliver Solberg finished seventh overall at +9:34.1 after facing challenges throughout the rally but managed to secure valuable experience for future events. Filip Mares ended up eighth overall with a time of +11:41.5, showcasing solid driving but lacking the speed to challenge higher up the leaderboard.
Miko Marczyk finished ninth overall at +12:10.6 as Kajetan Kajetanowicz rounded out the top ten with a time of +12:20.3, demonstrating resilience despite facing tough competition.
