The 2023 WRC season continues this weekend with the 9th of 13 rounds, Secto Rally Finland.
Drivers’ Championship Preview
Kalle Rovanperä will once again lead the Drivers’ championship standings into Secto Rally Finland much like he did last season. Last season Rovanperä came into his home event with an 83-point lead over Thierry Neuville. This time round Rovanperä leads Elfyn Evans by 55 points. Rovanperä is inching closer and closer to his second WRC championship every rally. As nobody has seemed to be able to match Rovanperä’s pace regularly. Rovanperä’s teammate Elfyn Evans sits second in the championship, as previously mentioned. Thierry Neuville moved into third in the championship after placing second at Rally Estonia last month. Neuville sits just 3 points behind Evans. 2022 Rally Finland winner Ott Tänak sits fourth in the championship, the same spot he sat last season. Tänak sits 8 points behind his former teammate Thierry Neuville. Sebastien Ogier managed to maintain a top 5 spot after Rally Estonia, now sitting 6 points behind Tänak. Ogier won’t be competing at Secto Rally Finland this weekend, however.
Championship Hopes On The Line
A couple of drivers’ championship hopes will be on the line, from a realistic standpoint at least. As after Secto Rally Finland, drivers will only have the opportunity to score 120 points. This puts a bit of pressure on drivers who want to stay in the championship hunt to finish ahead of Rovanperä. Luckily for them, Rovanperä hasn’t done great in Finland and has never won the event. Rovanperä’s highest finish in Finland is 2nd which came last season. Only one WRC1 driver is completely out of the championship race from a mathematical standpoint. That sole driver is Teemu Suninen, who drove half the season in WRC2. This means no WRC1 driver who has driven a WRC1 car all season is out of the hunt.
Itinerary
Day One
Number Of Stages: 1
Total Stage Kilometres: 3.48km
Day Two
Number Of Stages: 9
Total Stage Kilometres: 104.76km
Longest Stage: Myhinpää (15.5km)
Shortest Stage: Harju (3.48km)
Day Three
Number Of Stages: 8
Total Stage Kilometres: 160.68km
Longest Stage: Vekkula (20.65km)
Shortest Stage: Västilä (18.94km)
Day Four
Number Of Stages: 4
Total Stage Kilometres: 51.64km
Longest Stage: Moksi-Sahloinen (16.56km)
Shortest Stage: Himos-Jämsä (9.26km)
Jari-Matti Latvala Returns To WRC Competition