Friday
Kalle Rovanpera tamed challenging wet conditions to lead a Toyota 1-2-3 at Rally Finland as the Finn made a strong start to his bid for a maiden World Rally Championship home win.
The reigning world champion, running a part-time programme, head title contender and team-mate Elfyn Evans by 8.0s after 10 stages.
Eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier was third [+8.6s] as championship leader Thierry Neuville was the sole remaining Hyundai in fourth [+25.5s].
M-Sport-Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux [+48.5s], Toyota debutant Sami Pajari [+1m31.0s] and M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster rounded out the top seven [+1m52.7s.].
Seven Rally1 cars completed the day after Hyundai duo Ott Tanak and Esapekka Lappi retired along with Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, who damaged his right rear suspension after hitting a tree in stage five in the morning.
Saturday
Rovanpera has opened up a commanding lead after dominating Saturday’s Rally Finland stages to close in on a maiden World Rally Championship victory on home soil.
Toyota’s two-time world champion delivered a stunning drive in changeable conditions to win five of the day’s six stages, including two victorious passes of the returning Ouninpohja test.
The performance increased his overnight 8.0s lead to a 44.2s advantage and secures the Finn 18 provisional championship points. Team-mate and fellow part-time driver Sebastien Ogier trailed Rovanpera, as the Frenchman picked up 15 points.
Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville will score 13 points after rounding out the top three [+ 1m23.8s] ahead of M-Sport-Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux [+1m49.7s] who takes 10 points, while Toyota’s Rally1 debutant Sami Pajari [+2m19.2s] will earn 8 points.
The top eight was completed by leading WRC2 runners Oliver Solberg [+7m32.4s] and Jari-Matti Latvala [+8m20.s] in a one-off outing for the Toyota team boss.
The possibility of Toyota using team orders to help its title contender Elfyn Evans was rendered moot by a 16-minute delay leaving service as the Welshman’s mechanics worked to repair his failed driveshaft.
This had already demoted Evans to from second to eighth, but a 2m40s penalty for the delay leaving service dropped him outside the points to 16th overall after reaching the end of Stage 14 [Vastila, 18.94km].
Sunday
Sebastien Ogier claimed his third World Rally Championship victory of the season after long-time Rally Finland leader Kalle Rovanpera rolled out, denying him a home win in a brutal rally.
Eight-time world champion Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais produced a strong drive throughout a demanding Rally Finland affected by changeable weather to seal a 61st career win by 40.1s from championship leader Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, with M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux third 1m14.1s behind Ogier.
Oliver Solberg took a valuable WRC2 win after finishing an impressive fifth overall [+ 8m15.5s] ahead of Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala making a one-off WRC2 outing.
Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta ran as high as fourth before he clipped a tree on Friday that ripped his right rear wheel off his GR Yaris. Katusta was able to return to action and won the Power Stage on Sunday.
Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi took over fourth, but suffered a similar fate when he bounced out of a rut into trees, but topped the Super Sunday standings.
M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster rejoined the rally on Sunday after rolling out of seventh on Saturday.
Neuville extends his championship lead after inheriting 15 Saturday points following Rovanpera’s exit, while rivals Evans and Ott Tanak failed to score points.
