Ott Tänak to Gear Up for Rally Estonia with Louna-Eesti Ralli Debut in Ford Puma Rally1
WRC fans in Estonia are in for a treat this Saturday as Ott Tänak takes to the stages of the Louna-Eesti Ralli, also known as the South Estonian Rally, at the wheel of the Ford Puma Rally1 machine. The event serves as the perfect warm-up for the upcoming WRC Rally Estonia, scheduled to take place in two weeks.
The Louna-Eesti Ralli features three special stages – Ruusmae, Kundja, and Riidmae – which will be run three times, covering a total distance of approximately 70 kilometers throughout the day. As one of the go-to events for preparation for the FIA World Rally Championship round, the rally has attracted a strong entry list, with two Rally1 cars set to take part.
Tänak has prior experience at the event, having won it in 2020 in a Hyundai i20 WRC fielded by Hyundai Motorsport. That year, the event boasted an impressive entry list, with top WRC teams Toyota Gazoo Racing and M-Sport Ford also participating. The likes of Kalle Rovanperä, Elfyn Evans, and Sebastien Ogier represented Toyota, while Esapekka Lappi was the sole M-Sport entry. Thierry Neuville was also present in a second Hyundai, and local driver Georg Gross competed in a private Ford Fiesta WRC machine.
“This year, Tänak won’t be the only one using the event as preparation for Rally Estonia. Hyundai Motorsport has entered Teemu Suninen, who will test ahead of his Rally1 debut in a Hyundai i20 N Rally1 at Rally Estonia.”
Other notable entries from Estonia include Robert Virves in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 fielded by RedGrey Racing, Raul Jeets in a Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo, and former FIA European Rallycross Championship regular Andri Oun in a Subaru Impreza.
Aside from the rally, it’s been a busy week for the WRC teams, with Toyota and M-Sport spotted testing their cars in South Estonia, while Hyundai is set to conduct its testing around its home base in Finland. Stay tuned for all the latest WRC news, WRC 2023, and WRC rally updates.
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