WRC Estonia: Local hero

Estonia and its population of around 1.3 million people have punched well above their weight in the rallying world. It was Markko Martin who first put the nation on the WRC map as a rally winner in the early 2000s, and he was a key figure in the creation of Rally Estonia around his hometown of Tartu, winning the inaugural edition in 2010. But it's Martin's own protege Ott Tanak who has taken Estonia to new heights, culminating in a first world title in 2019.

Tanak, who rather like Martin prefers to let his driving do the talking, earned his big break through the Pirelli Star Driver scheme in 2010. His road to the top was a rocky one at times, testing the patience of M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson (and the strength of his cars) before a pair of breakthrough wins in 2017. Then came a move to Toyota, where Tanak became tough to beat and was crowned champion in 2019 – interrupting the otherwise unbeaten streak of Sébastiens Loeb and Ogier.

That was followed immediately by a surprise switch to Hyundai, where things never really gelled – although Tanak's took the first of five wins with the brand on Rally Estonia's WRC debut in 2020. Now in 2023, he has reunited with Wilson and M-Sport, with a win on his second time out in the Puma at Rally Sweden proof of the package's potential.