Ott Tänak set the pace on a short shakedown stage for Central European Rally, the penultimate stage of the 2024 World Rally Championship.
At just 1.3 miles long, Točná was a very quick blast for drivers to get accustomed to asphalt driving for the first time since April’s Croatia Rally – on a stage pacesetter Tänak joked was more like Catalunya.
Given its brevity, Tänak admitted the shakedown was more of a “systems check” to make sure everything on his Hyundai was working, but he’ll be hoping his fastest time is a sign of things to come on a weekend where his team-mate Thierry Neuville could wrap up the drivers’ title.
Eight-time champion Sébastien Ogier was second fastest for Toyota, one tenth up on team-mate Takamoto Katsuta who is making a return after missing Rally Chile.
World championship leader Neuville was fourth fastest, 0.7s off the pace, ahead of Sami Pajari (who’s driving a Rally1 car on Tarmac for the first time and confessed to being surprised by how good his time was) and Elfyn Evans.
Andreas Mikkelsen was seventh ahead of the leading M-Sport of Adrien Fourmaux.
Miko Marczyk set the pace in WRC2.
