A dramatic turn of events at Rally Japan spelled disaster for Ott Tänak. The driver was vying for the World Rally Championship (WRC) title when he suffered a severe crash during the first stage of the final day of the season.
The incident occurred about a kilometer from the end of the Nukata stage when the Estonian approached a corner with excessive speed and went off the road in a spectacular accident. It marked a premature end to the rally for the Hyundai driver, who had been performing nearly flawlessly up to that point.
By the end of Saturday, Tänak had a potential 18 points within reach of the 26 points he needed to surpass his teammate, championship leader, and now champion, Thierry Neuville.
To make matters worse, shortly after Tänak’s crash, Heikki Kovalainen also lost control at the same spot and landed on Tänak’s car, which was already unoccupied. Despite the dramatic scenes, no serious injuries were reported.
Heartbreak for Ott Tänak & Martin Järveoja 💔#WRC | #RallyJapan 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/dvSo2q6nyG
— FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) November 23, 2024
