Ott Tanak has said it was a 'big disappointment' he crashed out of Rally de Portugal on Saturday, but that he𝔉 was going to quick and simply '💧couldn't kill the speed'.

Tanak was one of the stars on the opening day, finishing it second overall in his M-Sport-run Ford Fiesta RS WRC, just 3.7 seconds off team-mate, Mikko Hirvonen. Although he then slipped to third on Saturday morning in SS9, he remained well placed, ꦜuntil he clipped a bank in the next test, the 22.15 km Malhao stage and rolled his car several times. He was unable to then re-start on Sunday as the roll cage was too badly damaged.

"It was in quite a tricky place - a section with lots of fast corners and crests leading up to a slower bend. We were a bit too late and couldn't kill the speed. We hit the bank, and the car rolled about three or four times," Tanak recalled.

"It's a big disappointment for me because until then everything was going really well. I was really happy with our performance and the speed that we were consistentl🅘y able to set."

"We need to remember, though, that my partnership with Raigo [Molder - my co-driver] is still very new. We need to learn," he added.

M-Sport managing director, Malcolm Wilson OBE, noted: "It was a real shame that we lost Ott, he was doing a fantastic job and was consistently on the pace of the 🐻front runners.

"Unfortunately, this is a very technical and challenging rally, and he became one of many to be caught 🌺out onꦗ the stages."