The podium was completed by another Hyundai driver, the Belgian Thierry Neuville, who was dogged by problems for three days and made a mistake on Sunday at the end of the 20th and last special, but without consequence for him in the general classification.
The 20th and last special, a 14 km Power Stage giving five bonus points to the author of the fastest time, was decisive between Tänak and Rovanperä, who had led since the start on Friday morning.
Rovanperä had lost control after SS19, the penultimate, contested in the rain, which made the game, in extremis, for Tänak who had made a daring choice of tires and had waited for the rain all morning.
Estonian Ott Tanak, driving his Hyundai, during the 18th special of Rally Croatia, April 24, 2022 near Kumrovec, north of Zagreb Damir SENCAR AFP
As a result of this downpour, there was only a second and four tenths difference between Tänak and Rovanperä at the start of this SS20 contested on a completely dry road, which allowed the young Finn to regain the advantage, for real.
Winner of the previous rally in Sweden, on snowy roads, Rovanperä increased his lead in the lead of the World Championship and posed as the main candidate for the world title, the outgoing champion, Sébastien Ogier, being now semi-retired from the WRC to prepare for the 24 hours of Le Mans.
© 2022 AFP