The M-Sport Ford driver set the pace around the 2.55km Velka Chuchle spectator stage that navigated around a racecourse in Prague, as the Czech Republic made its WRC debut.
One of a few crews to opt for four soft tyres, Tanak took the spoils with a perfect run in front of a huge crowd.
Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier, making a seventh WRC start of the season at the penultimate round of the year, was 0.7 seconds slower than Tanak, having opted to run on wet tyres.
Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville produced a committed run through the stage, that featured a mix of asphalt and gravel sections, to clock the third fastest time, 0.3s slower than Ogier.
Esapekka Lappi posted the fourth quickest time some 1.6s in arrears but the Finn’s rally hopes suffered an early dent.
The Hyundai driver was deemed to have jumped the start, resulting in a 10s penalty, which dropped him outside of the points paying positions.
Hyundai team-mate Teemu Suninen inherited fourth after Lappi’s penalty, while M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster impressed in only his second WRC start in a Puma Rally1, to sit fifth.
Source: Autosport