If you haven’t yet seen Ott Tanak’s crash from Rally Mexico then put your floaties on and get ready to get wet!
The 27-year-old Estonian crashed out on SS03 and the off itself wasn’t so spectacular, it was only after he had gently rolled into the water that things became dramatic. It was actually a bit scary there for a moment: could Tanak and co-driver Raigo Molder escape their stricken Fiesta?
Thankfully they did, both men getting to the safety of dry land without too much fuss. Molder even had the presence of mind to grab his pace notes.
If you’re an Autosport+ subscriber there’s some interesting post-rally analysis on Tanak’s crash. David Evans laments that the crash attracted world healdines, but the subsequent victory by Sebatsien Ogier barely rated a mention.
Further, Evans questions why it took 17 minutes to get FIVs on the scene. It took 12 minutes alone just to locate Tanak and Molder, as there were issues with their car’s tracking device.
The tale had almost remarkable ending. After spending nine hours in that lake the car was salvaged and brought back into service. M-Sport set about repairing the car and had three hours to do so. And they did, for a brief moment, get the car running.
Alas, shortly after leaving service the Fiesta stopped running, and despite the team’s best efforts Tanak was unable to resume.