Sebastien Ogier emerged as the surprise winner of the WRC Rally Finland in a stunning victory. His teammate, Kalle Rovanpera, had been leading the race with a significant advantage before rolling out on the penultimate stage. Rovanpera’s unfortunate exit dashed Finland’s hopes of a home winner after a seven-year wait. This marked the second time in a row that Rovanpera crashed out from the lead in his home rally. Ogier, an eight-time WRC champion, capitalized on the opportunity and secured his 61st WRC victory. He finished 40.1 seconds ahead of Thierry Neuville, with Adrien Fourmaux coming in third.
The dramatic turn of events had a significant impact on the WRC drivers’ championship standings. Despite missing three rallies earlier this year, Ogier now sits in second place. Ott Tanak and Elfyn Evans, who both scored zero points in this race, dropped to third and fourth place, respectively. Meanwhile, Neuville extended his lead in the championship to 27 points, and Hyundai Motorsport increased their advantage over Toyota Gazoo Racing in the manufacturers’ championship to 20 points.
In the WRC2 category, Oliver Solberg dominated the class and secured his third victory of the season. He finished 39.0 seconds ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala, who made a rare appearance in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Solberg’s victory puts him 28 points clear at the top of the championship standings. Other contenders still have multiple events to count, so the competition remains open.
The next rally on the WRC calendar is the Acropolis Rally Greece, which will take place from September 5th to 8th. This event presents a different challenge compared to the high-speed gravel of Finland. The rough, rock-strewn roads and high temperatures in Greece make it an endurance test for the drivers.
For more information and to stay updated on the FIA World Rally Championship, visit WRC.com, the official home of the championship. Rally.TV offers a subscription service that allows fans to watch all stages of every rally live and on demand. Sign up for the ultimate WRC experience and enjoy the action wherever and whenever you want.
Photo from Sebastien Ogier Instagram
