Local hero Kalle Rovanpera held an 8.0s lead in the WRC Rally Finland on Friday night after a dramatic first leg that saw Toyota Gazoo Racing secure the top three positions. The reigning champion, who has yet to win his home round of the FIA World Rally Championship, was ahead of fellow Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 driver Elfyn Evans after winning four of the nine rain-affected special stages. Sebastien Ogier completed the top three, just six-tenths of a second behind Rovanpera.
In contrast to Toyota’s success, Hyundai had a disastrous day, losing two of its i20 N Rally1 cars to crashes. Ott Tanak, who was aiming for his fourth Rally Finland win, was forced to retire after rolling in the morning’s second stage. His co-driver, Martin Jarveoja, was taken to the hospital for precautionary checks following the heavy impact. Meanwhile, Esapekka Lappi, a former Rally Finland winner, retired from fourth place after hitting a tree that damaged his car’s rear suspension. Lappi is expected to restart on Saturday.
Rovanpera faced challenges with oversteer in the early stages but managed to maintain a slim lead over Evans at the midpoint of the day. However, he extended his advantage in the afternoon as the gravel roads became even more challenging due to the rain. With two days left to go, Rovanpera has a good chance of securing victory, as the leader after Friday night has gone on to win the past two years.
Thierry Neuville was the only Hyundai driver to make it through the day after his teammates retired. He climbed up the standings and finished the day in fourth place, trailing Ogier by 16.9s. Neuville’s car setup and a time-consuming overshoot in the morning hindered his progress. As it stands, his points lead over title rival Evans is expected to shrink.
In the WRC2 category, Oliver Solberg dominated the opening leg, holding a comfortable lead over Jari-Matti Latvala. Several leading drivers, including Gus Greensmith, Emil Lindholm, and Pierre-Louis Loubet, encountered accidents on the rain-hit stages. Solberg had no such troubles and widened his lead to 24.1s by the end of the leg.
Saturday will be the longest day of the rally, featuring six stages and 89.61 competitive miles, including the iconic Ouninpohja stage known for its jumps and switchbacks.
Photo – Kalle Rovanpera Instagram
