Ott Tänak

Estonian rally driver and 2019 WRC World Drivers' Champion, becoming the first Estonian to win a motorsport world championship title.

Ott Tänak was born on 15 October 1987 in Kärla, then part of the Estonian SSR of the Soviet Union, and first got behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Scirocco at 14, following in the footsteps of Estonian rally legend Markko Märtin. He won the Estonian Rally Championship in both 2008 and 2009, driving for a team run by Märtin himself. Tänak made his World Rally Championship debut at the 2009 Rally de Portugal, and after years of steady progress, claimed his maiden WRC victory at Rally Italia Sardegna in June 2017, finishing third in the drivers' standings that season and again in 2018 while driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing. Tänak delivered a dominant championship campaign in 2019, winning six rallies and securing the title at Rally de Catalunya, becoming the first Estonian driver ever to win the World Rally Championship — a landmark achievement for the small Baltic nation's rallying tradition. Tänak went on to drive for Hyundai and M-Sport Ford across the remainder of his career, earning over 20 WRC victories and more than 100 stage wins with co-driver Martin Järveoja, before announcing his retirement from the championship in 2025 after a career spanning more than 15 years at the top level.

Aggressive and precise driving style, exceptional car control on all surfaces

Estonia's greatest rally driver and most successful motorsport athlete

• WRC World Rally Champion 2019
• WRC Rally winner - Rally Estonia 2020
• WRC Rally winner - Rally Estonia 2021
• WRC Rally winner - Rally Italia Sardegna 2019
• WRC Rally winner - Rally Finland 2018
• WRC Rally winner - Rally Germany 2019
• WRC Rally winner - Rally Turkey 2019
• WRC Rally winner - Rally Australia 2019
• WRC Rally winner - Rally Catalunya 2019
• WRC Rally winner - Rally Argentina 2019
• WRC Driver of the Year 2019
• Estonian Sportsman of the Year 2019