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SS12 is the first running of the 21.25km Swierajno test – the majority of the first kilometre is made up of short cobbled and asphalt sections before heading into soft gravel, with the stage gradually opening as it goes on. Tall grasses will hinder visibility – it won’t be easy for any of the drivers to pick out the corners.
 The flying Estonian, now truly earning his ‘Turbo Tanak’ nickname, was quickest through the stage with a time of 10:24.7 – he’s now just 2.1 seconds behind Jari-Matti Latvala overall. ‘It was a good one but surprisingly tricky. A good run though, so we must be happy. We must keep pushing.’ he smiled. Second quickest in the stage was rally leader Sebastien Ogier, 1.2 seconds down – with another quickest time from Tanak, his lead is down to just 16.3 seconds. ‘This morning I’m really pleased. pretty much perfect driving.’ commented the Frenchman. Third fastest was Latvala, currently third overall also. He’s closing in on team mate Andreas Mikkelsen, who was fourth quickest in the stage, taking two seconds out of him to reduce the gap to 11.1. Mikkelsen also had something to say about Ogier’s lines. ‘Of course we would like to take some time back, but in some places I was a little too cautious and that’s where the loss came. I can see Seb’s lines in the road, and I can tell you he’s not perfect either!’ he laughed. Could the Frenchman be struggling to keep pace? Hayden Paddon and Kris Meeke complete the top six in the stage. With Tanak catching fast, we could see him re-entering a podium position in the next stage, which is the first and only running of the 23.15km Paprotki test. It begins at 12:08 local time. Story by: Irallylive.com
Photo: Jaanus Ree
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