Ott Tänak

The 2019 World Rally Championship season served as the definitive showcase for Ott Tänak, who secured his maiden title with Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT. Claiming six individual victories throughout that dominant year, the Estonian driver solidified his position among the sport's elite, ending a lengthy championship drought for the manufacturer and marking a historic milestone for his home nation.

Early Development and National Titles

Born in Kuressaare in 1987, Tänak pursued his motorsport education at the Kuressaare Regional Training Centre. His early professional progression began in domestic competition, where he clinched the Estonian Rally Championship in both 2008 and 2009. These formative years were spent driving for a team managed by former world rally winner Markko Märtin. By 2009, his performance in the European Pirelli Star Driver shootout in Austria earned him a pathway into the World Rally Championship support categories, specifically the PWRC, where he claimed victories in Finland and Great Britain in 2010.

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Rising Through the WRC Ranks

Tänak’s transition to top-tier machinery began in earnest during the 2011 season, when he campaigned a Ford Fiesta S2000 for MM-Motorsport. Following a series of competitive displays in the SWRC, he secured a seat as the primary driver for M-Sport Ford in 2012. This campaign proved testing, characterized by significant pace followed by technical setbacks and retirements in rounds such as Sweden and Greece. Despite these challenges, he secured his first podium at the 2012 Rally Italia Sardegna, ending the season eighth in the standings.

Championship Success and Team Transitions

After a brief departure from the WRC stage in 2013, Tänak returned to the global circuit with DMACK and later M-Sport. His partnership with co-driver Martin Järveoja, initiated in 2017, proved pivotal to his success. In 2017, the pair achieved their maiden world rally win in Italy. By 2019, Tänak achieved his primary career objective as the first Estonian to win the drivers' championship, simultaneously becoming the first non-Frenchman to secure the title since 2003. His career later included a stint with Hyundai World Rally Team before his announcement of retirement in 2025.