Rally Finland is one of the most challenging rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), and it lived up to its reputation this year with a dramatic race.
Sebastien Ogier came out on top in what turned out to be a bittersweet victory. Read on as we analyse the highlights of this exciting motorsport weekend.
Ogier Claims Victory in Finland
Toyota GAZOO Racing driver Ogier clinched his second Rally Finland victory, but the race was not without drama.
His teammate Kalle Rovanpera led round nine of the championship for almost every mile and looked set to end Finland’s seven-year wait for a home winner with a 45.8 second advantage.
However, he crashed into a large rock in the penultimate stage. Rovanpera did not suffer any harm – a testament to his dogged GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID.
Ogier had not won in Finland since 2013 and had not raced there since 2021 but added another milestone to his illustrious career. The eight-time World Rally Drivers’ Championship winner is now 27 points behind Thierry Neuville after an inconsistent season.
“It is hard to smile right now,” Ogier said at the finish. “A win in Finland is always nice, but this is not the way we like to have it.
“Very sorry for Kalle. He was unlucky with the stone, and it was a shame for him. We were unlucky in Sardinia and lost in the last stage, but we are lucky here. That is motorsport.”
Irish Talents Kelly & McErlean Shine
Eamonn Kelly and Joshua McErlean left their mark in Finland. Donegal-born driver Kelly finished sixth in his class and 28th overall in his Ford Fiesta Rally3.
Kelly had a chance to clinch the category victory as he was only eight seconds off the lead at one point on Saturday. However, a puncture and brake issue thwarted his hopes of a Junior WRC podium spot in Finland.
Despite the setbacks, Kelly set the third-fastest time on a very wet Ouninpohja 2 to end the day in sixth place. He is now ninth in the JWRC standings ahead of the final round at the Acropolis rally next month.
Racing fans in Ireland will be wagering on Kelly to claim a podium finish on the fast mountain roads of mainland Greece. Irish betting sites will be inundated with punters hoping to see the Emerald Isle native make them proud.
Fellow Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy member Joshua McErlean also had a productive time in Finland, climbing from sixth to fifth in the WRC2 Challenger category in their Skoda Fabia Rally 2.
His performance was phenomenal, considering that all four drivers in front of him were either Finnish or Estonian and were more used to the roads.
Only one other non-Finnish or Estonian driver holds a position in the top ten in the WRC2 Challenger class, highlighting how well McErlean has done to defy the odds.
Evans’ Rally is Cut Short
It was a topsy-turvy week for the Toyota racing team as Welsh driver Elfyn Evans suffered mechanical issues before a minor crash.
Evans was in second place on Friday and one of the bookmakers’ favourites to win the race but endured a setback when his driveshaft sustained damaged.
The 25-year-old put up a brave fight the following day as he tried to recover from the disappointment. However, he crashed while trying to take the first corner.
A frustrated Evans finished outside the top 10, crushing his bid to keep pace with Neuville at the top of the driver standings. Thankfully, Evans left the scene unharmed.
He now faces an uphill battle to close the gap in the title standings in the remaining rounds of the season.
“We knew it was a tricky corner, but it was more down to the way the car reacted in the rut than the speed,” Evans said. “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 will continue to give our all until the very end.”
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