The leading star of the M-Sport Ford team beat Elfyn Evans and Esapekka Lappi by six-tenths of a second in the twisty 3.35km Tartu Vald test over the parkland roads of Raadi Manor.
Estonian rally driver Ott Tänak opened the Rally Estonia with a remarkable pace in the initial speed test on Thursday evening.
Still, technical setbacks have tempered the local hero's promising start, leaving him with a five-minute time penalty and mixed emotions.
The leading star of the M-Sport Ford team beat Elfyn Evans and Esapekka Lappi by six-tenths of a second in the twisty 3.35km Tartu Vald test over the parkland roads of Raadi Manor.
However, the victory was little consolation for Tänak. Following technical problems during the shakedown, his team had to replace the engine in his Puma - an act punishable by a significant time penalty when carried out between scrutineering and the first-time control.
Reflecting on the situation, Tänak said, “I would say that the more I have to go through the day, the more it hurts.”
“Our chances for the championship were quite tight considering our performances this year and we were working hard for these next two rallies. This was a proper kick in the balls.”
Despite Tänak's early success, Evans’ Toyota GR Yaris and Lappi’s Hyundai i20 N left little space for separation.
Both drivers posted identical times and share the joint lead overnight. Reigning champion Kalle Rovanperä was only a single tenth behind in his Toyota.
Belgian racer Thierry Neuville, a member of the Hyundai team, holds fourth place overall, managing to stay 1.6 seconds ahead of Takamoto Katsuta.
Following behind the Japanese driver was Puma's young talent Pierre-Louis Loubet, who lost 4.4 seconds due to a messy run.
WRC2 contenders Miko Marczyk, Georg Linnamäe, and Andreas Mikkelsen rounded out the early leaderboard.
The rally's longest leg kicks off on Friday with a gruelling 133.38km of action split over identical morning and afternoon loops to the city's north and south.
The 24.35km Peipsääre test, the longest stage of the rally, will signal the start of an intense day at 09.08 local time.
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