Tanak wary of tough terrain in Naivasha
World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge (left) gifts 2019 World Rally champion Ott Tanak running shoes at the Global Sports Communication Training Camp in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County on June 18, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Jamie McMillan, Tanak’s engineer who has been with the M-Sport team for the last six years, said that every event normally has its own set-up for the cars, depending on the terrain.
- “For example, we are competing in Kenya this week and the car has to be in a different set-up because the terrain is harsh and we have to change suspensions, springs and make sure the car clearance is adjusted and it looks different because the roads can be very rough,” McMillan said.
The 2019 World Rally Championship series winner, Ott Tanak from Finland has set his sights on the top prize when he competes in the 2023 Safari Rally with M-Sport Ford in Naivasha from June 22-25.
Tanak is alive to the challenge the tough terrain presents to him and his fellow drivers as he chases the top prize in the Kenyan leg of the world series.
In an exclusive interview with Nation Sport on Sunday when he paid a visit to the world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge at his Global Sports Communication Training Camp in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet, Tanak admitted that the rally terrain posses serious challenge to drivers, especially when it rains.
He emphasized that fans should be prepared for an exciting and thrilling event due to the difficult nature of the terrain he witnessed last year.
Tough terrain
“Kenya has one of the most challenging courses, and it’s one of the toughest in the world championships. We know it’s going to be hard but our target is to manage it well and come out on top, which shall be a good thing for us,” Tanak, who will drive Ford Puma Rally1 car, said.
He added that the last two editions of the event were very challenging. Although they performed well, they faced technical problems but their priority was to finish the race with the car intact.
He paid tribute to Irish driver Craig Breen, the Hyundai team driver who died in an accident in a pre-event test in Croatia in April.
“What happened to Craig is difficult to accept to date and it was really sad that we lost him but we have to continue working hard as we honour him because the sport is quite challenging comes with high risks,” added Tanak.
Jamie McMillan, Tanak’s engineer who has been with the M-Sport team for the last six years, said that every event normally has its own set-up for the cars, depending on the terrain.
“For example, we are competing in Kenya this week and the car has to be in a different set-up because the terrain is harsh and we have to change suspensions, springs and make sure the car clearance is adjusted and it looks different because the roads can be very rough,” McMillan said.
