Rallying-Tanak fends off Rovanpera to win in Finland for third time

Estonian Ott Tanak won Rally Finland for the third time on Sunday and gave Hyundai their first victory on the fast gravel roads. Toyota's runaway world championship leader Kalle Rovanpera finished second with team mate and fellow Finn Esapekka Lappi third despite rolling on the penultimate stage.

Estonian Ott Tanak won Rally Finland for the third time on Sunday and gave Hyundai their first victory on the fast gravel roads.

Toyota's runaway world championship leader Kalle Rovanpera finished second with team mate and fellow Finn Esapekka Lappi third despite rolling on the penultimate stage. Lappi finished with a patched-up radiator, topped up with water from one of the region's many lakes, and no windscreen.

Tanak, the 2019 world champion, led from Friday morning and clinched victory by 6.8 seconds with Rovanpera opting not to take any risks. "This is a special victory, no question," said the Estonian after his first win since Sardinia in June.

"There have been quite a few wins in my career, but this is definitely up there with the best." Rovanpera took a maximum five bonus points from the final stage to stretch his championship lead over Tanak, who took two extra points, to 94 after eight of 13 rounds.

Toyota are 88 points clear in the manufacturers' standings. The next round of the championship is in Belgium on Aug. 18-21.

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