Tanak, Jarveoja win 1st ever WRC title for Estonia

Estonian driver Ott Tanak celebrates with champagne on the podium as he won the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship after finishing second on the 55th Catalonia 2019 FIA World Rally Championship on October 27, 2019 in Salou, near Tarragona. Photo: PAU BARRENA / AFP / Scanpix

Estonian pilot Ott Tanak and co-pilot Martin Jarveoja sealed their maiden World Rally Championship (WRC) title after finishing second at RallyRACC Catalunya -- Rally de Espana on Sunday afternoon.

Belgians Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul won the three-day mixed surface event by 17.2 seconds in a Hyundai i20 with team-mates Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio third, 0.4 seconds behind Tanak's Toyota Yaris.

Frenchman Sebastien Ogier, Tanak's main rival for the WRC title, was put out of contest for the top spots by power steering problemsalready at the start of the second speed test on the opening day of Rally Catalunya on Friday and finished eighth overall.

Before Rally Catalunya, the penultimate round of the WRC Rally Championship, Tanak led the championship with 240 points, Ogier was second with 212 and Neuville third with 199 points.

Prior to 2019, French drivers had secured all WRC titles since in 2004, with Sebastien Loeb winning the series from 2004 to 2012 and Sebastien Ogier from 2013 to 2018.

Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja. Photo: Pilt videost