Toyota Gazoo Racing had a disastrous Sunday in Finland. The victory in the 2024 WRC Secto Rally Finland came as a surprise to everyone, especially Sebastian Ogier and Vincent Landais. It had been 11 years since their last win in the fastest rally of the World Rally Championship. Kalle Rovanperä won 11 out of the 18 stages he completed, while Ogier only managed to win one. Despite this, Ogier’s 61st victory placed him in second position in the championship standings, which is impressive considering he is only a part-season driver.
While winning in Finland is always a great achievement, Ogier expressed his disappointment with the circumstances. He apologized for Kalle and Jonne’s misfortune and praised their incredible performance throughout the weekend. Ogier acknowledged the ups and downs of motorsport, mentioning their bad luck in Sardinia and their victory in Finland. He also mentioned that a full campaign might not be his priority anymore, but he will consider it in the future.
The rally took a turn in stage 18 when Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen had a comfortable lead. However, in stage 19, everything fell apart as they crashed heavily on the last corner of the rally. A large rock on the racing line caused their car to lift into the air and crash into the trees, resulting in a massive roll. Rovanperä was unable to control the situation, and there was nothing the double world champion could do to prevent the accident.
This incident occurred on the same stage where Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin crashed just 200m into the stage. Their GR Yaris slid wide, hitting a tree on the left side, which propelled them into the trees on the inside of the corner. The stage was left scattered with broken pieces of Toyota cars.
Thierry Neuville secured second place in the rally and strengthened his position in the championship with a 27-point lead over Ogier. Adrien Fourmaux achieved his fourth podium finish of the year. Sami Pajari and Enni Mälkönen had a successful Rally1 debut, finishing fourth overall and securing their first top-tier stage win.
Esapekka Lappi claimed victory on Super Sunday, earning valuable points. Takamoto Katsuta and Ogier followed closely behind. Katsuta also won the Wolf Power Stage. Hyundai extended their lead in the Manufacturers’ standings by 20 points, further adding to Toyota Gazoo Racing’s disappointment.
Only four Rally1 cars managed to complete all 20 stages. Oliver Solberg and Elliot Edmondson emerged as the winners in the WRC2 category, finishing fifth overall with a flawless performance. Jari-Matti Latvala and Juho Hänninen, competing in a GR Yaris Rally2 as a one-off outing, secured second place. Lauri Joona and Janni Hussi finished third in their Skoda Fabia.
Photo from Sebastian Ogier Instagram
