Sunday’s three tests were unfamiliar ground for all competing crews, with the brand-new Hellenurme (SS18, 11.79km) opening the rainy day, followed by two loops of the second-longest stage of the weekend, Kääriku (SS19/20, 24.20km).
After an incredible effort by the team’s mechanics to execute a precautionary engine change in his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 in just 43 minutes on Saturday night, Tänak returned to the Sunday stages with his sights set on consolidating his second-place position. An impressive charge across the brand-new Hellenurme stage saw the home-hero finish just 1.6 seconds behind rally leader Oliver Solberg. With seven Sunday points added to his 17-point rally total, Tänak has leapfrogged to the top of the championship standings by one point.
Knowing what was at stake on the final day, Neuville’s calm and collected approach was vital in consolidating his first podium finish since Safari Rally Kenya in March. A jump-start on the first stage of the day put the Belgian at a disadvantage, incurring a ten-second time penalty, but his continued consistency and an established gap meant he could keep his competitors at bay. Neuville’s efforts were rewarded in the form of 18 weekend points and a well-deserved third place.
It was a strong showing from all three crews across the entire weekend, although Fourmaux’s Friday morning meant he did not reap the same benefits from a later road order as his team-mates. After losing his front splitter on Sunday’s first stage, the Frenchman suffered with understeer across the remaining two tests, but was still able to claim ten points from the weekend to advance his position in the drivers’ championship to sixth, with plenty of positives to carry into Rally Finland.
As a result of its strong performance on the fast gravel roads of Estonia and outscoring Toyota, Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team has closed the gap to the top of the standings to just 52 points. With Rally Finland the next stop on the calendar, the team is confident it can once again demonstrate the improved pace of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 in two weeks’ time.
Crew Notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Crew claims another podium at home event
Estonians take the lead of championship standing
Tänak said: “I think we got the best out of this weekend – with or without my mistake on Saturday morning, Oliver was still difficult to beat. I expected a challenging weekend, and I knew it would be tough to get the most out of these Estonian roads. They’re super fast and have some big jumps, so you need a good balance and a perfect rhythm and we learned a lot here to take to Finland. I’m happy to be going there in the championship lead, and we will see what it’s like opening the road.”
Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#1 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Belgians return to the podium for the first time since Safari Rally Kenya
Crew secure 18 points across demanding weekend
Neuville said: “Generally I am quite happy with how this weekend went for us. From Friday I felt comfortable in the car, but we still managed to find some areas for improvement that we can work on. We got a bit closer to the championship lead, but we still lost a couple of points compared to Ott and Kalle. It wasn’t a perfect weekend, but nevertheless we are happy to be back on the podium. With Finland so close, we are going to work on the areas we need to improve on and see how far we can take it there.”
Crew Notes: Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (#16 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Fifth-place finish sees crew advance to sixth position in the championship standings
Aerodynamic package damage put Frenchmen at a disadvantage over closing stages
Fourmaux said: “We had a difficult first stage on Friday morning, and then we found the pace again and kept it all the way through Saturday, so there are a lot of positives to take from that. On the first stage this morning I unfortunately damaged the front of my car, and that meant I lost a lot of balance throughout the rest of the day. It was hard to fight for the Sunday points, but we largely stayed ahead of Evans to play the team game for Ott’s championship.”
Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “Overall, it has been a positive weekend for the team. We have achieved a large number of our targets: Ott took the lead of the championship, we reduced our gap to Toyota in the manufacturers’ standings, and Thierry finished back in the podium positions. This weekend, we’ve really been able to demonstrate the steps forward we have taken with the car. We are heading in the right direction, but there are still some things we need to do in the coming weeks to ensure the momentum remains with us and that we don’t lose sight of what we need to achieve. Finally, congratulations to Oliver; it’s a remarkable way to mark his return to the Rally1 programme.”
Next rally
Rally Finland (July 31 – August 3) is round nine of the 2025 FIA WRC season, and continues the fast gravel action seen in Estonia
The infamous ‘rally of a thousand lakes’ provides high-speed thrills, huge jumps and technical forest roads for fans and crews alike.
Final Overall Classification - Rally Estonia
1 O. Solberg E. Edmondson Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 2:36:35.1
2 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +25.2
3 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +48.3
4 K. Rovanperä J. Halttunen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +55.6
5 A. Fourmaux A. Coria Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +1:33.0
6 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +1:43.4
7 S. Pajari M. Salminen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +2:55.6
8 M. Sesks R. Francis Ford Puma Rally1 +3:36.0
9 J. McErlean E. Treacy Ford Puma Rally1 +5:29.8
10 G. Munster L. Louka Ford Puma Rally1 +5:57.5 ...
2025 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
After round 8
1 Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team 399
2 Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team 347
3 M-Sport Ford World Rally Team 111
4 Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team 2 68
2025 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings
After round 8
1 O. Tänak 162
2 E. Evans 161
3 S. Ogier 141
4 K. Rovanperä 138
5 T. Neuville 114
6 A. Fourmaux 71
7 T. Katsuta 63
8 O. Solberg 52
9 S. Pajari 38
10 G. Munster 19 ...
All results remain subject to official FIA confirmation.
