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Tänak flies!

OMP partners Ott Tänak and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team are celebrating their second victory in as many events – and their third in total in 2019 – after clinching a hard-earned win on Rally de Portugal.

Having been out front ever since the third stage of the rally on Friday, Tänak headed into the the final day’s five tests with a lead of 4.3 seconds over his team-mate Kris Meeke, who in turn was just 4.9s ahead of third place. Both were able to push hard through the first three stages to increase their advantages, setting the top two fastest times on each occasion. Meeke then had a spin in the penultimate stage, dropping him to third, before he clipped a tree stump on the inside of a corner at the start of the final stage and had to retire.

Tänak and co-driver Martin Järveoja controlled the final two stages perfectly to clinch victory by 15.9 seconds and record the third-fastest time in the Power Stage for three bonus points, ensuring Tänak closes to within two points of the leader in the drivers’ championship heading to the next round in Sardinia.