Estonian driver Ott Tänak wins World Rally Championship

Published Oct. 27, 2019 12:26 p.m. ET

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Estonian driver Ott Tänak won the World Rally Championship title on Sunday after finishing the Rally of Spain in second place.

Tänak's victory ended a 15-year-dominance of the title by French drivers Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier.

Tänak and co-pilot Martin Järveoja won the title with one round to spare in their Toyota.

"It's difficult to say the pressure I felt this weekend, it was next level," Tänak said. "I never wanted to take risks but my mother said yesterday evening that if I want something I can make it happen. I just had to make it happen."

Thierry Neuville won the race in northeastern Spain's Catalonia region.