Year: 2024

Just the final day of action and with 41km’s over four stages, the crews that were not in the top ten at the end of Saturday’s stages would now be eyeing up the points available for finishing in the top seven positions, plus the powerstage points.

First up was SS17 Sahloinen-Moksi 1 – 14.27 km Kalle was fastest from Elfyn and Esapekka in third. Just four tenths of a second separated the top two as well. Sami and Enni had a moment in the stage going off the road and surviving incredibly without any damage.

The shortest stage of the day followed SS18 Laajavuori 1 – 4.35 km and this would be the stage which would be the powerstage later but would not be the typical type of stage that would be normally part of the stages in Finland. Kalle would again be fastest from Seb this time and Thierry third. Elfyn could only manage the fourth fastest time.

Onto the penultimate stage then, SS19 Sahloinen-Moksi 2 – 14.27 km and first to complete was Takamoto, with Esapekka going second fastest. There was drama sadly for Elfyn and Scott as they entered the first corner they understeered wide, hit a tree. This pitched their Yaris sideways, spinning across the road and into the trees on the other side of the road. There were bodywork parts on the stage and after Elfyn realised that he was not going to be able to even complete the stage he jumped out and dealt with the debris so the stage could continue with no delays. Once the stage was back up and running Thierry was next to complete and went third fastest setting an identical time to Esapekka. There was even more drama to come though as Kalle and Jonne came towards the end of the stage and there was a rock right in the line on a left hander. This made the car kick up at the front and sent it offline and into the trees lining the road on the right-hand side. They were fine, but out from the lead, putting Seb into the lead, Thierry up to second and Adrien into third place.

The final stage then, SS20 Laajavuori 2[Power Stage] – 8.77 km and Takamoto was fastest from Thierry, Esapekka, Adrien and Seb. The French crew then had taken victory in somewhat remarkable circumstances from Thierry and Adrien took third.

Let’s take a look at the top ten positions and hear from the drivers.

Final Overall Classification – Rally Finland

1 S. Ogier V. Landais Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid 2:25:41.9 2 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid +40.1 3 A. Fourmaux A. Coria Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid +1:14.1 4 S. Pajari E. Mälkönen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid +1:54.5 5 O. Solberg E. Edmondson Škoda Fabia RS +8:15.5 6 J. Latvala J. Hänninen Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 +8:54.5 7 L. Joona J. Hussi Škoda Fabia RS +9:29.4 8 M. Heikkilä K. Temonen Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 +9:32.0 9 N. Gryazin K. Aleksandrov Citroën C3 +9:51.2 10 G. Linnamäe J. Morgan Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 +10:07.0

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Sébastien Ogier

“To win in Finland is always nice, even if this is not the way we would like to have taken it. The team provided an amazing car and dominated all weekend. Kalle and Jonne were in a different league than the rest and were very unlucky with this rock on the line. I feel for my team as we deserved a much better result. I lost a win in Sardinia earlier this season through luck and I have now gained one back here. I have been around long enough to experience many outcomes and emotions and I’ve been lucky to be on the right side of that equation most of the time – but not today. I would honestly have preferred to finish second, but motorsport is unfair sometimes.”

Sami Pajari

“I’m relieved to have finished my first event in a Rally1 car. What an emotional rollercoaster this week has been! It sounds nice to be the highest-placed Finn on Rally Finland and scoring fourth place on my first event – and scoring my first stage win – but there’s still plenty of room to improve. I was expecting a more consistent and relaxed event – I don’t remember a time the weather was so challenging on Rally Finland. It’s not been the perfect weekend for the team but I’m happy to find positives in my own performance. Huge thanks to Toyota and the whole team: it was a dream come true to drive on my home rally with the GR YARIS Rally1.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“The car was working very well today after the changes we made yesterday. I had a good feeling on Sunday morning, and I was able to push: it’s great to have won the Power Stage and taken maximum points from there, plus scoring good points for Super Sunday by being equal-fastest on the last day. But I’m really sorry to the team for not being able to bring a result home: while the speed was good, the outcome could have been much better. Many people made mistakes this weekend, but the rally is a long weekend, not a sprint.”

Kalle Rovanperä

“We had a really good morning with everything under control and still fighting for Sunday points without taking any risks. On pretty much the last corner of the penultimate stage we were driving normally with a steady pace but in the middle of the corner, there was a huge loose stone which I could not avoid, and it threw us off the road. It’s quite an unreal feeling, considering there was nothing we could have done to change the situation. It’s quite tough to take but on the other hand, Jonne and I executed a perfect weekend until that point and couldn’t really have done anything differently.”

Elfyn Evans

“Unfortunately, we had an accident right at the beginning of the penultimate stage. I’d managed the corner OK on the first pass, but I had a bit of understeer in the ruts the second time around and ran out of road. We knew it was a tricky corner, but it was more down to the way the car reacted in the rut than the speed. It was a costly mistake on my part and a weekend that went from bad to worse – but this is motorsport, and these things happen. There are four rounds to go in the championship and everything is still open, so we’ll continue to give our all until the very end.”

Jari-Matti Latvala (WRC2)

“For myself and Juho it’s a really great feeling at the end of the rally. Our target was to finish in the top five of WRC2 and we’ve been in second place since almost the start of the rally and finished on the podium. It’s been a really enjoyable weekend behind the wheel, and I can be very satisfied with my own performance, it’s not been bad. At the same time, it’s been a hard Sunday for the team: it’s great to win here again, but to have two cars retire on Sunday is not good for the championship. But I know our team never gives up and we will put all our efforts into the coming events.”

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville

“A good, consistent drive throughout the day. Our increase in tempo on the last two stages made the difference with the retirement of Kalle. We were capable of reducing the gap on the Power Stage so Ogier would only leave Finland with one more point than us. This weekend has been a rollercoaster of emotions for everybody, like the stages. Lots of ups and downs and it was changing all the time. Greece is next – and it’s a challenging event. We will be on it and with a shift of focus to this surface we are hoping to take what we have done at these fast gravel rallies one step further.”

Esapekka Lappi

“When you retire from any rally you are disappointed, but Finland was the most important one for me personally. These risks are a part of motorsport, when you are constantly pushing the limit: you don’t do anything wrong and then you end up retiring. It was similar for Kalle today and I really felt for him, it’s a big shame. Today we did what we could, we brought home a good amount of Super Sunday points for the team, so I am very satisfied with how the day went.”

 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Adrien Fourmaux

“It has been a tricky weekend, I have struggled to find confidence in the car in the tough conditions, but once I knew it was going to be difficult to fight the top guys I wanted to do a sensible drive and so I worked on the car setup over the first two days and just made sure I didn’t make any mistakes. We found some good improvements and driving Ouninpohja in this car was just amazing.

“To end the rally with a podium is not necessarily what I was expecting, but a focused drive all weekend made sure we were there in case anything happened to the others and I can be really happy with my weekend and my fourth podium this year!

“Now I look forward to a few weeks off before Rally Greece and the rest of the season, where I want to be strong and keep challenging for the top spots.”

Grégoire Munster

“I think it was a tricky event, for our first time in Finland in a Rally1 car it for sure wasn’t easy, especially with these conditions. We can be happy with our first day on Friday. For the second day, yes it was disappointing, not just because of the off but also because we missed out on the kilometres in these tough conditions and the famous stage of Ouninpohja!

“The team did an amazing job to fix the car so we could continue on Sunday, to gain 40 crucial kilometres so we could finish on a good note before the next event. I was really glad to have the opportunity to drive again and finish the rally.”

William Creighton (WRC2)

“A difficult rally with quite inconsistent conditions with the rain showers. Unfortunately, we had to retire on Friday, but the team did a great job to get everything sorted so we could gain experience for the rest of the stages. The atmosphere has been incredible, and I hope we can return to these classic stages in the future! Thanks to everyone at M-Sport and MI Rally Academy for supporting us this weekend.”

Oliver Solberg (WRC2 winner)

“Honestly, I was hoping for a similar result to last year – but to go one better: to finish fifth overall instead of sixth and to win WRC2 is something very, very special. It’s been an unbelievable weekend for Elliott [co-driver] and me.

“First, I want to thank Elliott – as usual he has been perfect. This is a big week for both of us, the fastest rally of the season and such a complicated and fast event. I just couldn’t do it without him. It’s the same for the team, everybody is putting in so much work all of the time and this result is for those guys, it’s been amazing.

“The rally itself was really not too complicated. The biggest thing was the weather and the conditions through Friday; we had some rain then no rain, then it was drying, then it was raining again and all the time our main competition – Jari-Matti Latvala (Toyota team principal and fellow WRC2 competitor) – was far behind us on the road and we didn’t know what the conditions were really like for him.

“I wasn’t pushing so hard through Friday, maybe 90%. I wanted to keep something in reserve and not to take the big risk. It was kind of the same on Saturday – but that day was all about Ouninpohja and the chance to get into that stage and drive in this incredible place. My father broke the record there 20 years ago, so it was actually quite emotional to drive the full length of stage again. It was incredible!

“For Sunday, it was about no mistakes and bringing the car home to take the points. The atmosphere in Laajavuori this morning was incredible – I don’t think I ever saw so many people spectating in Finland or so many Swedish and Norwegian flags.

“I have to say a big congratulations to Jari-Matti, he made a really nice fight. But for me, it’s a big relief and such an amazing feeling to have won this one. Winning in Finland is a really, really big thing and to do it two years in succession is fantastic. Tonight, we can celebrate and then we have to focus to try to finish the job and win this title.”

Summary

Well, what an incredible rally with a crazy outcome in the penultimate stage. Seb and Vincent took their second victory in Finland after their teammates crashed out. They have also moved into second in the championship!

A second-place finish for Thierry and Martijn has given the Belgian Hyundai crew an increased lead in the championship. Can they hold on to take the championship?

Finally, Adrien and Alex took a fourth podium for M-Sport Ford with a great drive. Earlier in the weekend the car was not handling so well, but with the crew and team working hard to get the car into the right place, they saw things improve and when Kalle and Jonne crashed out they found themselves on the podium.

The crews and teams have a break of sorts now till the next round in Greece from the 5^th to the 8^th of September. Whether we see Seb and Vincent in Greece is yet to be seen.

 

2024 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings
After round 9

1	T. Neuville	168
2	S. Ogier	141
3	O. Tänak	137
4	E. Evans	132
5	A. Fourmaux	119
6	K. Rovanperä	86
7	T. Katsuta	76
8	E. Lappi	33
9	A. Mikkelsen	29
10	D. Sordo	27

 

2024 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
After round 9

1	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	395
2	Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team	375
3	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	207

Day two then dawned again with mixed conditions out on the stages. The crews had 144km over six stages including the return of Ouninpohja. Esapekka and Takamoto both returned to the action and the Japanese would open the road throughout the day.

First up though was SS11 Västilä 1 – 18.94 km and both Takamoto and Esapekka completed the stage with no problems. However, Gregoire and Louis unfortunately crashed out at around 5km’s into the stage and the first crew to come across the M-Sport crew was Sami and Enni and as they had to slow due to the red flag, later they were given a notional time which placed them fourth fastest. In terms of the M-Sport crew, both Gregoire and Louis were both fine after a slow roll. The top three fastest were Kalle, Elfyn and Seb.

Into SS12 Päijälä 1 – 20.19 km and Kalle was fastest from Esapekka and Takamoto. The rain brought the two first into the stage to the second and third fastest times and only Kalle was able to go faster. Unfortunately, Elfyn and Scott suffered a driveshaft failure in the stage and dropped a minute and a half to Kalle. They fell to fifth position and any hope of a third win in Finland went with that.

The first run of SS13 Ouninpohja 1 – 32.98 km and Kalle led a Toyota 1-2-3-4 with Seb and Takamoto going second and third fastest, plus Sami fourth in this legendary stage. Elfyn and Scott had attempted a fix on the road section between the stages but could not sort the problem out. They would lose a further four minutes and forty seconds in the stage and would drop a further three positions to eighth place. The other driver having a problem was Esapekka as he suffered a puncture and had to stop to change the wheel.

After the service break it was a return to SS14 Västilä 2 – 18.94 km and Kalle was fastest again from Seb and Thierry, with these three holding the top three overall positions as well. Elfyn was delayed in leaving service by sixteen minutes and would be given a penalty of two minutes and forty seconds, the result being they were now in sixteenth position.

Into SS15 Päijälä 2 – 20.19 km and Esapekka came to the line, setting the fastest time, which was not beaten, although Kalle came closest, just half a second behind his fellow Finn and Adrien finding some pace to go third. Elfyn and Scott were climbing the leaderboard going fourth fastest and gaining two positions to fourteenth.

The final stage then, SS16 Ouninpohja 2 – 32.98 km and Kalle was again fastest from Seb and Sami third. Esapekka also suffered a second tyre problem as the right front tyre delaminated, and incredible situation. Also further back, Elfyn was outside the top ten still, so the Toyota team retired the car, and they will return to the fray under the super rally rules.

Let’s take a look at the top ten and hear from the crews.

Classification after Day Two

1 K. Rovanperä J. Halttunen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid 2:03:53.8 2 S. Ogier V. Landais Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid +44.2 3 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid +1:23.8 4 A. Fourmaux A. Coria Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid +1:49.7 5 S. Pajari E. Mälkönen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid +2:19.2 6 O. Solberg E. Edmondson Škoda Fabia RS +7:32.4 7 J. Latvala J. Hänninen Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 +8:20.0 8 L. Joona J. Hussi Škoda Fabia RS +8:52.4 9 N. Gryazin K. Aleksandrov Citroën C3 +8:57.7 10 M. Heikkilä K. Temonen Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 +9:04.8

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Kalle Rovanperä

“It was quite a long and difficult day. In the morning we had a lot of rain and muddy conditions, but we kept pushing and our driving remained clean – that was the main thing. The 0.1s gap in Ouninpohja this morning between myself and Seb shows that both of us were driving quite fast and there was not much margin left! In the afternoon our setup was even better; I felt a bit more comfortable in the car and we could achieve even better stage times, so I was enjoying it quite a lot. Tomorrow will still be quite tricky, especially the Laajavuori Power Stage, but we’ll try to do our best and bring it home.”

Elfyn Evans

“This morning started off pretty OK but in the second stage, coming into a junction, we lost drive to one of the wheels and we spun around. From there on it was just a case of nursing the car back to service. The team did a good job to fix the car at lunchtime, but they had more work than anticipated and then the afternoon was just about trying to get through cleanly. It was too big a gap to close to get into the points positions, so now we need to try and salvage what we can from tomorrow.”

Sébastien Ogier

“We tried to keep it safe today and confirm a one-two for the team. It was a difficult morning with the grip conditions, especially in the morning with some stages that were new to me, and I was lacking a little bit of confidence. Ouninpohja was amazing but the other two stages were still wet from rain showers and had slippery conditions. You can’t enjoy those sections so much, but we made it through those, did the job needed today and together with Kalle we’re on to bring maximum points for the team. Tomorrow’s target is simple: we have to push flat out, it’s the only way to fully benefit from our performance so far.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“The stages today were really nice, especially Ouninpohja which we enjoyed very much. It wasn’t easy, especially on the second pass with the rain causing trickier conditions. It wasn’t the most comfortable drive, but the car was working well and we managed some good times on the morning loop. We just need to work on the feeling in the car further and target some good points on Sunday.”

Sami Pajari

“Today it’s been easier to learn about the car. The weather conditions have been much more consistent even with some rain, so I’ve been able to enjoy the stages, get a good feeling with the car and grow my confidence. Ouninpohja really lived up to expectations: the emotions were nice and I had a really nice run. But I can also see where the small gap to Kalle is. You always need to look for areas to improve and find something new; we only lost five seconds in 33 kilometres but we’re still working to make every corner perfect.”

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville

“It was a little bit weather dependent on whether we would have a good or bad weekend, and in the end the weather somehow was on our side for the first day, so it was a good opener for the weekend. Today was a bit more challenging, the roads were a bit faster, we couldn’t find anything to improve our speed despite trying very hard to change around the car. The points are still there, and that is the positive from today. We need to maximise the points from tomorrow but also be careful not to throw everything away – a balance between taking risks and securing the points needs to be found. We know we are not the fastest here this weekend, but we know the Power Stage is atypical for this rally so anyone can win it.”

Esapekka Lappi

“We were testing different set-ups all day, on the first one it felt good and then we did some fine tuning across the middle of the day, and on the last stage it felt really good. I had found the grip that I hadn’t been able to before. On the final stage our tyre completely delaminated. I started to feel a small vibration, and a couple of seconds later pieces were flying in the air. It was a productive day despite the end result, and we are looking forward to taking part in Super Sunday at home.”

WRC2

Oliver Solberg

“This has been another good day. It’s been so cool to drive these roads in this car. I had a lot of fun today. This morning was tricky in places, so we were taking it a little bit careful, then we had a couple of big moments in Ouninpohja. I was flat in fifth gear with full sideways – it was a little bit scary for a second there!

“This afternoon was good and the second run through Ouninpohja was just amazing – that really is one hell of a stage. It helped that we were a bit more familiar with the roads and we had a bit more knowledge, but it was so, so much fun. That’s definitely one of the best stages I’ve ever done.

“Now, we need to focus on the finish. The gap is quite good now, so we will look to manage this for tomorrow.”

Sunday

The final day then of the ninth round of the championship beckons and will have 42km’s over four stages.

Let’s see what Elfyn and Scott do with those stages and see if they can take all the top points for Sunday’s stages.

The first full day beckoned for the crews on the fast gravel roads of this iconic rally. We had a short stage run on Thursday evening giving the following top three of Thierry, Takamoto and Ott.

Friday dawned and there was rain on the stages giving hope to the championship leaders Thierry and Martijn that they could be in the hunt for the top spot.

Into SS2 Laukaa 1 – 17.96 km then and Elfyn won the stage climbing five positions into third overall. His teammates were second and third. Top three overall was Seb, Kalle and Elfyn. With just 1.4 seconds covering the Toyota teammates.

Following the first stage came SS3 Saarikas 1 – 15.93 km and there was a mistake from Thierry as he went straight on at a left hander, losing a lot of time, ultimately going 13.5 seconds slower than the stage winner, Kalle. However, this only came later as the stage was stopped. The reason? Ott and Martin crashed their Hyundai around two kilometres into the stage. Both exited the car and later the Hyundai team announced that Martin had been taken to hospital for checks. Sadly, they will not return to the action. Top three was now Kalle, Elfyn and Seb who slipped from the lead.

Next up was SS4 Myhinpää 1 – 15.51 km and Elfyn was fastest from Thierry and Seb. The Welshman moved into the lead by 1.2 seconds over Kalle and Seb still held third.

The final morning stage then, SS5 Ruuhimäki 1 – 7.76 km and Kalle found some pace to go fastest from Thierry and Elfyn. The Finn retook the lead by just 2 tenths of a second and Seb was a further three seconds back still in third. Their teammate Takamoto however hit a tree and broke a wheel. The Japanese star dropped five positions to ninth overall.

After the lunchtime service SS6 Laukaa 2 – 17.96 km was next up. Kalle was again fastest from Sami this time and Elfyn was third and Kalle now led by 4.6 seconds over his teammate. Unfortunately, we lost Esapekka and Janne hit a tree, losing a wheel. They retired from the rally for the rest of the day.

SS7 Saarikas 2 – 15.93 km was next and Kalle was fastest again from Elfyn and Thierry third. Kalle opened up a further 3.1 seconds from his teammate in their fight for the lead. Meanwhile Sami and Enni were continuing to learn and setting good pace, just one tenth from fourth fastest Seb and Vincent.

Next up was SS8 Myhinpää 2 – 15.51 km and Thierry was fastest from Seb and Elfyn, whilst Kalle who was still in the lead saw a little over a second lost to Elfyn, the gap was now 6.5 seconds between the top two.

The final proper stage of the day before the short street stage was next, SS9 Ruuhimäki 2 – 7.76 km. Sami and Enni came through and took their first stage win by half a second from Seb, with Kalle third. Elfyn was fifth and the gap to Kalle in the lead grew to 8.3 seconds, with Seb a further 1.2 seconds back in third.

The short SS10 Harju 2 – 2.01 km was won by Seb from Thierry and Elfyn third.

Let’s take a look at the top ten and hear from the crews.

Classification after Day One

1 K. Rovanperä J. Halttunen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid 58:24.7 2 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid +8.0 3 S. Ogier V. Landais Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid +8.6 4 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid +25.5 5 A. Fourmaux A. Coria Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid +48.5 6 S. Pajari E. Mälkönen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid +1:31.0 7 G. Munster L. Louka Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid +1:52.7 8 O. Solberg E. Edmondson Škoda Fabia RS +3:22.0 9 J. Latvala J. Hänninen Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 +3:46.1 10 R. Virves A. Lesk Škoda Fabia RS +3:53.3

Toyota Gazoo Racing

Kalle Rovanperä

“It was a really good day. The conditions were difficult for everyone and in the morning, I was struggling, so I tried to keep it steady. We also made some changes to the car setup with each stage and by the last one of the loop, we had found a better feeling. Then in the afternoon when the conditions were clearer, we could have better pace. Tomorrow will be difficult: long and difficult stages with a small gap, so nothing is decided. It’s always good to be fighting with team-mates as it means there are three Toyotas at the top!”

Elfyn Evans

“It was a day with changeable weather, so I’m happy to reach the end given how unpredictable the road conditions were. The grip was not too bad in some points but at other times it was quite tricky, and the cuts were quite muddy, so for once it was not a disadvantage to be running high in the road order. We managed to keep it mistake-free, and it’s been very close between the three of us so far in these difficult conditions. There are some amazing stages ahead tomorrow – but very demanding too. We have to enjoy them and try and get the most out of them.”

Sébastien Ogier

“I’m happy to be where we are in a podium place tonight. I think my performance level was not so bad after not doing this rally the last two years. This morning it was tricky to judge the grip in places. The conditions were more or less consistent, but there were still a couple of corners which were not easy to anticipate. This afternoon we lost a bit of ground to Kalle but we expected that and it’s been a positive day for the team overall. Everyone is looking forward to tomorrow as it features the best stages of this rally, including Ouninpohja. I haven’t done the first stage, Västilä, before so I’ll have to be on it against the others who did it last year.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“This morning the conditions were very tricky and inconsistent. Some corners were slippery, some had good grip and it was very difficult to judge. But our loop was going quite well until the mistake I made at the beginning of the last stage. It was a very slippery corner, I went a bit wide and the rear snapped around and hit the tree on the outside. We tried to bring the car back to service but unfortunately the wheel didn’t stay attached and we had to stop. It’s disappointing because I wanted to push from the start and get a good result. Thanks to the team for fixing the car so we can drive again tomorrow: I will try to get back the feeling and do my best.”

Sami Pajari

“What a rollercoaster of emotions this day has been. The pace was good in the first stage this morning, but I made a silly mistake, damaging the rear of the car. But the afternoon loop was really good; on the first stage I was second-fastest behind Kalle and when the stages had conditions that I was used to and had experience of, then everything was coming to me quite naturally. I wasn’t chasing a stage win on Ruuhimäki, but it was a clean drive, and I was enjoying it. Even though the start of the day wasn’t so great, we didn’t give up; you need to refocus and keep going. It’s only my first day in a Rally1 car but it already feels like a long story! Thank you to everyone and to Toyota.”

 

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville

“I was fighting with the set-up in the morning, and I still was not completely satisfied with it in the afternoon. It was also difficult day for the team with us ending up being the only car left. We had to manage the risks we were taking with the championship and the struggle we had to find the right set-up. We lost 13 seconds today in the fight this morning: being first on the road with a blind corner, I braked far too early, and when I released the brakes and kept going it was a little too late. On some stages we had good grip, on others it was a disaster – it was constantly up and down today. Tomorrow, we return and hope to climb into the podium positions.”

Esapekka Lappi

“Of course, I am disappointed to end the day early, for both me and the team. I knew the ruts would be really deep, but I was not expecting to bounce back like that. I bottomed and the car then jumped out from the line, so I could not do anything more because we were already too close to the tree. We started to show good pace, and I think it would have been possible to fight with the Toyotas. Tomorrow I am hoping to get back out there and continue with the momentum we started to find.”

Ott Tänak

“Thankfully, both Martin and I are ok after the accident. We went wide, rolled over and hit a tree. I don’t think it was anything special – some rain, but all normal. Of course, it is a shame that we will leave scoring no points, but the most important thing is that we are fine following the accident. Martin will take some time to recover but the plan is to be in the car again in Greece.”

 

WRC2

Oliver Solberg

“It’s been a very good day. I’ve felt really comfortable with the car and quite confident in the driving. Of course, the conditions with the rain have made it quite tricky at times, but we’re here and here in a good place.

“I have been quite careful in places; we’ve been pushing at about 90%. OK, for sure, sometimes we’ve gone harder where you can be a bit more sure, for the grip, but mainly we have had a little bit in reserve. The biggest thing for us is the championship and we have to keep an eye on everybody who we are fighting.

“One thing which is quite tricky today is how spread out the WRC2 field is – some of the drivers we’re battling with are starting further down the field and they’re coming to the stages maybe half an hour after us. The conditions on the road can vary a lot in that time. Tomorrow we’ll all be a lot closer together, which will be more interesting.

“Tomorrow will be a really good day with Ouninpohja coming back. It’s the full-length stage that we’ve all be waiting for – I am very excited for that one. It’s one heck of a road!”

 

Saturday

The second day sees the crews tackle 144km’s over six stages. Who will be holding the top positions at the end of the second day?

It’s the third event in a row which is super-fast as the crews and teams head to what has been known as the gravel grand prix and also the rally of a thousand lakes.

Thierry and Martijn come again to this round as championship leaders as they have done all year with Ott and Martin now second in the championship seven points back and Elfyn and Scott third, thirteen points from the Belgian crew.

This is the ninth round of this season’s championship, and it is so close at the top in the fight for the drivers and manufactures titles. Just a single point separates Hyundai and Toyota as well.

Let’s take a look at the full championship standings as we come to this round.

2024 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings
After round 8 (Latvia)

1	T. Neuville	145
2	O. Tänak	137
3	E. Evans	132
4	S. Ogier	117
5	A. Fourmaux	101
6	K. Rovanperä	86
7	T. Katsuta	65
8	A. Mikkelsen	29
9	D. Sordo	27
10	E. Lappi	23

2024 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
After round 8 (Latvia)

1	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	351
2	Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team	350
3	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	177

Let’s now hear from the drivers.

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville

“Rally Finland is a challenging but enjoyable rally. One of the most important things is a car you can trust in; you need grip and traction for the slower, narrow sections, but also good lateral grip and stability in the fast sections. Precision will also be key when going into the fast corners to ensure you position the car before you take off on the jumps. Of course, being on the podium here previously provides a confidence boost, however the cars and roads develop year-to-year, so the rally remains as challenging as ever. The target is still to defend our lead in both championships but also to enjoy this fast rally and really be in the game.”

Ott Tänak

“Rally Finland is one of my favourite events on the calendar. However, I know what a challenging and demanding event this can be and so I have a great respect for the unique characteristics of the rally’s profile. In order to be successful here you need two things: experience of the rally and confidence. I believe we have both of those elements going into this event and my aim is to try and take the maximum we can to consolidate the progress we made in Latvia.”

Esapekka Lappi

“It’s always exciting to be competing at a home event; the crowd brings excitement and at the same time pressure, both of which will motivate me to bring my best performance to this rally. The driving that we have done in Latvia will really support our setup here in Finland; the events are very similar, so everything we learnt will be brought into this event to help us take maximum points from our competitors. I was hoping for a podium in Latvia but unfortunately, we were far away from this target. Rally Finland provides an opportunity for redemption.”

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Kalle Rovanperä  

“Every year, Rally Finland is quite a special occasion. Of course, it’s our home rally and one of the nicest events to do with lots of fans and family around. It’s always exciting and the stages are really nice but quite demanding also. Having legendary roads like Ouninpohja on the schedule this year will be amazing. Our approach and our target will be like on every rally we’ve done this year: try to do the best job we can to fight for the win and bring good points for the team. I haven’t managed to get the very best result on Rally Finland, but I don’t want to place any extra stress on achieving that. I just want to treat it like any other rally and try to do my best.”

Elfyn Evans

“Rally Finland is always a highlight on the calendar for me, and it’s going to be an important week for the team and for the championship. We’ve been strong there in the past and should have a reasonable base to work from, and with the testing we’re doing this week, we should be in a pretty good place to start the rally. The road cleaning effect is normally not as significant as we found in Latvia, so it’s usually possible to fight at the front, but we will have to wait and see how the weather conditions are in the days leading up to Friday. Overall, I’m looking forward to it like always: the roads are amazing to drive, and the best approach will be to enjoy it and see what comes.”

Sébastien Ogier

“Rally Finland is a unique event in the championship that I think every driver loves to drive. It’s also a difficult rally, where the local drivers have always been very strong, but this is the kind of challenge that I like, and it has been a rally that I really wanted to do again after a couple of years away. It’s also a home event for the team, of course, and I’m happy to be part of this strong line-up and I’ll try to bring everything I can to achieve the best team result. After a break from driving in really fast rallies, I think I had some good speed and a good weekend in Latvia and I hope to bring that to Finland.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“Rally Finland is a rally that I always really look forward to. Having been living in Finland for many years, it is like a second home rally for me along with Rally Japan, and it was a really big thing for me to finish on the podium last year. I hope that I can fight for a similar result this year, but it will not be easy of course with so many strong drivers competing. The speed was there on the last rally in Latvia, and I had a really good feeling in the car, and I tried to build on this in my test day on Finnish roads earlier this week. So, I’m feeling fully confident for the rally and excited to push hard and enjoy it.”

Sami Pajari  

“I’ve been really looking forward to Rally Finland for a few weeks now. To make my Rally1 debut with TGR-WRT on my home event is going to be a really exciting moment. I’ve had some good test days with the team to help me get used to the car and prepare for the event, but it’s still going to be a big challenge: the stages in Finland can be really demanding with extremely high speeds and many tricky crests. The most important thing is to gain the experience and finish the rally. Of course, I’d like to show some pace as well, but it’s not so easy to set any target in terms of final result. The best approach is not to think about that, and just to learn and progress step by step.”

 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Adrien Fourmaux

“This will be my third time in Finland in a Rally1 car, it’s a rally I really like and shows the legacy of the championship. We’ve got a really famous stages back in the rally, Ouninpohja [32,98 KM], it’s going to be a big stage for the championship, and I’m pleased its back – it’ll be a new stage for me to do it at full-length! I’m just happy to be back in Finland and we’re hoping for another good result and to get back on the podium again.”

Grégoire Munster

“In terms of preparation for Finland, we’ve done some onboard comparisons with Adrien and Mārtiņš from the previous events, and it’s been valuable to learn the differences in driving style and the inputs in terms of braking in order carry to speed through these fast corners. So, we’ll try to use all that knowledge in Finland and look to get a good result.

“The thing with Finland is that we have some experience here and knowledge of the stages, there are always some new ones here, but we can prepare by watching the onboards, so we have some good insight heading into the recce and the rally itself.”

William Creighton

“I’m looking forward to experiencing my first Finland – it’s going to be a challenge on this type of event for our first time, but we’ll use the opportunity to work on making good pacenotes and build on our last event in Latvia.

“This is one of the most special events in the WRC and I have no doubt there will be lots of Irish support on the side of the roads this weekend!”

Skoda Motorsport / TokSport

Oliver Solberg

“This year is about the championship,” said Oliver. “Of course, we want to win rallies and if we keep doing that then the title will come, but at the same time we have to be clever. We took this approach in Poland; we didn’t make the final big risk and we took some good points for second place.

“Last time out [at Tet Rally Latvia] everything was just perfect – we were able to make some really good times and move into a good lead on the first day. After that we were managing the speed and the risk. That win was just what we needed. To win on those fast roads was good for the confidence coming to Finland.

“Last year was one of the most amazing results of my career in Finland. To finish sixth overall and to be setting the times Elliott [Edmondson, co-driver] and I were able to with the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 was incredible. We both loved that event so much, everything worked, and we were really flying – jumping in the lake on Sunday night was so cool!

“We start this rally looking for that same feeling again. If we can immediately get everything dialed and take the same speed, then I think we can have a good chance. But, like I said, the championship is the priority, and this is what we focus on.

“Finland is a place which is kind of crazy for the sport of rallying – it’s always such a pleasure to come and compete here, but it’s always such a big fight. This event always brings the fastest cars and crews and has some of the best roads in the world. It’s one of the highlights of the season.”

Summary

This is going to be very special as we have Ott and Elfyn who have won this rally in the most recent years. We also have the return of one of the most iconic stages with Ouninpohja returning to the stage lineup. Let’s take a look at the stages.

Rally Finland’s ceremonial start takes place in Jvyväskylä on Wednesday followed by Shakedown on Thursday and super special stage Harju.

On Friday the crews will tackle nine stages, with service splitting the 116.33km of competitive distance.

Saturday marks the longest day of the weekend, with six stages accounting for almost 50% of the rally’s total distance.

Extra bonus points are on offer to the seven fastest Sunday drivers, with four final stages set to be contested, including the Laajavuori Power Stage additionally rewarding the top five drivers.

Enjoy the rally!