WRC: Tanak must raise game again, teammate says

Ott Tanak will have to take another step up to repeat his Poland World Rally Championship podium in Finland this weekend, says his multiple WRC rally-winning countryman Markko Martin.

Estonian driver Tanak finished third and challenged for victory in Poland earlier this month. Martin said the M-Sport star was at a disadvantage arriving in Jyvaskyla this week without as much knowledge of the roads or the machinery beneath him as his rivals.

Tanak has only started Finland once in a World Rally Car, in 2012. He did not compete at all in 2013, before returning in a Ford Fiesta R5 last season.

"The other thing which Tanak will find a bit tricky is the extra speed from the World Rally Car," Martin told AUTOSPORT. "Ott probably thought that the Fiesta R5 was quick, but nothing prepares you for the speed of a top-class car. It's incredible – you find so many more jumps when you are in these cars. And Poland was definitely more of a level playing field, with more new stages for everybody."

Despite his caution, Martin still believes Tanak should push for a win in Finland rather than a safe points finish.

"Finland will be a big tougher than Poland, but why not go for the win?" Martin said. "At least he's got to give it a go.

"Poland is history now. Ott has to go to Finland and start from zero again. Nobody cares about what happened in Poland.

"I remember when I won in Finland. We went to Australia for the next event and I thought: 'That going to be a piece of (cake) now, it'll be no problem...' But we were nowhere. The other guys had reset and come for revenge. It will be the same for Tanak."

Originally on Autosport.com