Secto Rally Finland Solberg Takes WRC2 Lead

Day Three of Secto Rally Finland has come to an end. Oliver Solberg took the WRC2 class lead.

SS11, VÄSTILÄ 1

Oliver Solberg took the stage win on the eleventh stage of the weekend. Finishing 2.8 seconds faster than Sami Pajari to take the stage win. Marco Bulicia rounded out the top three fastest times on the stage, finishing 5 seconds slower than Pajari. 

SS12, PÄIJÄLÄ 1

Jari Huttunen won the 12th stage of Secto Rally Finland. Posting a time 0.9 seconds faster than Oliver Solberg to take the stage win. Adrien Fourmaux finished third fastest on the stage, 1.9 seconds slower than Solberg. 

SS13, RAPSULA 1

Gus Greensmith and Sami Pajari tied for the stage win on SS13. With both drivers finishing 1.1 seconds faster than Oliver Solberg. Roope Korhonen set the third fastest time on the stage, 0.9 seconds slower than Solberg.

SS14, VEKKULA 1

Sami Pajari took the stage win on the fourth stage of Secto Rally Finland. Setting a time 1 second faster than Jari Huttunen to win the stage. Oliver Solberg rounded out the top three fastest times on the stage, finishing 1.6 seconds slower than Huttunen.

SS15, VÄSTILÄ 2

The 15th stage of the weekend was won by Oliver Solberg. Who finished 1.4 seconds ahead of Sami Pajari to take the stage win. Emil Lindholm set the third fastest time on the stage, 3.4 seconds slower than Pajari.

SS16, PÄIJÄLÄ 2

Oliver Solberg also won SS16 of Secto Rally Finland. Posting a time 0.4 seconds faster than Andreas Mikkelsen to win the stage. Adrien Fourmaux finished third fastest on the stage, 0.3 seconds slower than Mikkelsen. 

SS17, RAPSULA 2

Sami Pajari won the 17th stage of the weekend. Finishing 1.1 seconds faster than Emil Lindholm to take the stage win. Adrien Fourmaux set the third fastest time on the stage, finishing 0.6 seconds slower than Lindholm on the stage. 

SS18, VEKKULA 2

Oliver Solberg took the final stage win of the third day of Secto Rally Finland. With Solberg finishing 9.5 seconds faster than Adrien Fourmaux to take the stage win. Sami Pajari posted the third fastest time on the stage, 1.8 seconds slower than Fourmaux. 

Huttunen and Greensmith Retire

Jari Huttunen who led Secto Rally Finland heading into day three retired on SS15 due to a mechanical issue. The exact cause of the retirement wasn’t said but it was believed to be an engine issue. Gus Greensmith also retired on the third day of the event. As a roll on SS16 ended his event early. Greensmith sat sixth in WRC2 heading into SS16, 0.9 seconds behind Nikolay Gryazin.

What To Expect From Day Four Of Secto Rally Finland

The fourth and final day of Secto Rally Finland will see drivers contest 51.64km across 4 stages to round out the event. Oliver Solberg sits in the WRC2 class lead. Although he isn’t scoring points. Only counting point scoring driver’s Sami Pajari would be in the lead. Pajari sits 12.5 seconds behind Solberg heading into the final. Pajari sits comfortably in first for the point scorers. With 33.9 seconds separating him and Adrien Fourmaux. There will likely be no battles for a top-five position on day four. With handfuls of seconds separating each driver. 

The third day of Secto Rally Finland has come to an end. Elfyn Evans retained his lead after a dominant day by him.

SS11, VÄSTILÄ 1

Elfyn Evans took the stage win on the 11th stage of the weekend. With Evans finishing 4.6 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to take home the stage win. Teemu Suninen finished third quickest on the stage, 7.6 seconds slower than Neuville. Takamoto Katsuta posted the fourth fastest time, 0.8 seconds slower than Suninen. Jari-Matti Latvala rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 7.6 seconds slower than Suninen.

SS12, PÄIJÄLÄ 1

Stage 12 of Secto Rally Finland was also won by Eflyn Evans. With Evans posting a time 0.4 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to win the stage. Teemu Suninen finished third fastest on the stage, 7.3 seconds slower than Neuville. The returning Pierre-Louis Loubet posted the fourth quickest time on the outing, 6.3 seconds slower than Suninen. Jari-Matti Latvala once again finished fifth fastest on the stage, 1.9 seconds slower than Loubet.

SS13, RAPSULA 1

Stage 13 was also won by none other than Elfyn Evans. With Evans setting a time 3.4 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to take the stage win. Takamoto Katsuta finished with his first top-three time of the day, 5.7 seconds slower than Neuville. Teemu Suninen set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.3 seconds slower than Katsuta. Pierre-Louis Loubet rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 6.8 seconds slower than Suninen. 

SS14, VEKKULA 1

Stage 14 of Secto Rally Finland was also won by Elfyn Evans, meaning he completed the sweep of the morning loop. Evans finished 2.4 seconds ahead of Thierry Neuville to take his fourth consecutive stage win. Takamoto Katsuta once again set the third fastest time on the stage, this time it was 5.3 seconds slower than Neuville. Teemu Suninen finished fourth fastest on the stage, 0.9 seconds slower than Katsuta. Pierre-Louis Loubet once again rounded out the top five on the stage, 1.6 seconds slower than Suninen. 

SS15, VÄSTILÄ 2

Elfin Evans continued his dominance on SS15, taking yet another stage win. Evans finished 7.8 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to take the stage win. Takamoto Katsuta finished third fastest on the stage, 2.5 seconds slower than Neuville. Teemu Suninen set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.8 seconds slower than Katsuta. Pierre-Louis Loubet rounded out the top five once again, finishing 5.1 seconds slower than Suninen. 

SS16, PÄIJÄLÄ 2

Stage 16 of Secto Rally Finland was also won by Elfyn Evans. With Evans posting a time 4.5 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville. Teemu Suninen finished third fastest on the stage, 3.3 seconds slower than Neuville. Takamoto Katsuta set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.1 seconds slower than Suninen. Pierre-Louis Loubet once again rounded out the top five times on the stage, 5.1 seconds slower than Katsuta.

SS17, RAPSULA 2

Elfyn Evans continued his dominance of SS17 taking yet another stage win. With Evans setting a time 2.8 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to take his seventh consecutive stage win. Takamoto Katsuta finished third fastest on the stage, 0.4 seconds slower than Neuville. Teemu Suninen posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.2 seconds slower than Katstua. Pierre-Louis Loubet once again finished with the fifth fastest time on the stage, 12 seconds slower than Suninen. 

SS18, VEKKULA 2

The final stage of the day of Secto Rally Finland finally saw someone other than Elfyn Evans win a stage. With Takamoto Katsuta finishing 1.6 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to take the stage win. Eflyn Evans posted the third fastest time on the stage, 0.7 seconds slower than Neuville. Teemu Suninen finished fourth fastest on the stage, 4.2 seconds slower than Evans. Jari-Matti Latvala rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 7.2 seconds slower than Suninen.

Evans Dominates

Elfyn Evans took all but one stage win on the third day of Secto Rally Finland. Extending his lead from 6.9 seconds to 32.1 seconds at the end of the day. Evans should have a relatively easy time taking his second Rally Finland win in the last 5 runnings. But as mentioned a lot this weekend, anything can happen at Rally Finland and nothing is ever easy.

What To Expect From Day Three Of Secto Rally Finland

The fourth and final day of Secto Rally Finland will see drivers contest 51.64km across 4 stages to round out the event. With Evans sitting comfortably ahead of Neuville it’s unlikely the two will battle for position. With both drivers just wanting to finish the event and take home points at an event Rovanperä isn’t. Takamoto Katsuta and Teemu Suninen will likely battle for the final podium position. Suninen sat in third for part of the day. 

The second day of Secto Rally Finland has come to an end. Jari Huttunen leads the WRC2 class after a chaotic day.

SS2, LAUKAA 1

Sami Pajari took the stage win on SS2 of Secto Rally Finland. Setting a time 1.7 seconds faster than Emil Lindholm to take his first stage win of the event. Oliver Solberg rounded out the top three fastest times on the stage, finishing 1 second slower than Lindholm.

SS3, LANKAMAA 1

Jari Huttunen took the stage win on SS3. Finishing with a 1 second faster than Sami Pajari to take the stage win. Oliver Solberg once again finished with the third fastest time on the stage, 1.5 seconds slower than Pajari. 

SS4, MYHINPÄÄ 1

Stage 4 of Secto Rally Finland would be won by Oliver Solberg. With Solberg finishing 1.6 seconds faster than Sami Pajari to take his first stage win of the weekend. Emil Lindholm rounded out the top three on the stage, finishing 0.3 seconds slower than Pajari. 

SS5, HALTTULA 1

Oliver Solberg also took the stage win on SS5. Posting a time 2.9 seconds faster than Andreas Mikkelsen to take the stage win. Jari Huttunen finished with the third fastest time on the outing, 0.3 seconds slower than Mikkelsen. 

SS6, LAUKAA 2

Sami Pajari took the stage win on the sixth stage of Secto Rally Finland. Finishing 0.8 seconds faster than Jari Huttunen to take the stage win. Nikolay Gryazin rounded out the top three fastest times on the stage, finishing 2.2 seconds slower than Huttunen. 

SS7, LANKAMAA 2

Jari Huttunen took the stage win on the seventh stage of the event. Finishing 0.9 seconds faster than Sami Pajari to take the stage win. Oliver Solberg rounded out the top three on the stage, finishing 0.4 seconds slower than Pajari. 

SS8, MYHINPÄÄ 2

On the eighth stage of Secto Rally Finland, Sami Pajari came out on top. Finishing 1.3 seconds faster than Jari Huttunen. Nikolay Gryazin rounded out the top three fastest times on the stage, finishing 1.7 seconds slower than Huttunen.

SS9, HALTTULA 2

Oliver Solberg took the stage win on the ninth stage of the event. Posting a time 2.7 seconds quicker than Mikko Heikklä to take the stage win. Jari Huttunen rounded out the top three times on the stage, finishing 0.1 seconds slower than Heikklä.

SS10, HARJU 2

Adrien Fourmaux took his first stage win of the event on SS10 of Secto Rally Finland. Finishing 0.4 seconds faster than Jari Huttunen to take the stage win. Nikolay Gryazin finished third fastest on the stage, 1.1 seconds slower than Huttunen. 

Drama For All

WRC2 didn’t see as much drama as the WRC1 class of drivers, but they also got their fair share. As Robert Virves would be the sole top WRC2 driver to crash out on day two of the event. Virves went wide on a corner into a rock destroying the right side of his rear end. Emil Lindholm who was in the battle for the rally win had his suspension break just a couple meters from the finish to SS9. Lindholm wouldn’t start SS10 resulting in a retirement penalty. Sami Pajari also didn’t get through SS9 clean. As the Fin reported drove about half of the 9.14km stage with a tire off the rim. Reigning Finnish Rally Champion Mikko Heikklä would have issues with his gear shifter on the first couple stages of the day. Causing him to lose time as a result. It seems the only ones who didn’t suffer any major issues in the top three are Oliver Solberg and Jari Huttunen. 

What To Expect From Secto Rally Finland Day Three

The third day of Secto Rally Finland will see drivers contest 160.68km across 8 special stages. Jari Huttunen heads into the day with a 12.9-second lead over Sami Pajari. It’s expected Huttunen and Pajari will continue to battle for the class win. A win which could prove critical for Huttunen, who has struggled to get funding to compete in the WRC this season. Nikolay Gryazin sits a mere 0.3 seconds behind Pajari heading into the day. So he’s also very much in the battle for the event win. As day two proved anything can happen at Secto Rally Finland. 

Contrary to an article posted a couple hours ago, Kalle Rovanperä will not restart Secto Rally Finland on day three.

Rovanperä Will Not Restart

Kalle Rovanperä was believed to be restarting on day three of Secto Rally Finland. This belief was caused by Rovanperä’s name being put on the start list for day three. Rovanperä was supposed to start second on the road, behind Pierre-Louis Loubet who will be restarting. 

Reason For Not Restarting 

The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team was given an extra hour to get the car back to parc femé at the end of day two. It was given to them due to  the time needed for the FIA technical delegate to give the authorization to repair it. Unfortunately for them and Rovanperä the chassis was too damaged for them to repair. This was kind of expected after Rovanperä’s car was pretty much a shell after he went end over end. But Toyota has repaired similar incidents in the past. Unfortunately this incident was too major for the team to repair. 

A Disappointing Ending

This wasn’t the ending to the 2023 running of Secto Rally Finland Rovanperä or Toyota had hoped for. Rovanperä would’ve liked to have taken the win at his home event. While Toyota would’ve liked the extra manufacturers points and for Rovanperä to get more championship points. Unfortunately you don’t always get what you hope for. It’s also a disappointing ending for the fans attending Secto Rally Finland who went to see the reigning champion in action. Now as a result they only have two Finnish drivers in the WRC1 class to watch. As Esapekka Lappi will also not be restarting. The two Fins that are left are Teemu Suninen and fan favourite Jari-Matti Latvala. Nevertheless the remaining drivers will be sure to put on the best show possible for the fans. 

Kalle Rovanperä Rolls Out Of Secto Rally Finland

Just a couple hours ago the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT announced championship leader Kalle Rovanperä will restart Secto Rally Finland.

Rovanperä Returns

Kalle Rovanperä crashed out of the lead on the eighth stage of Secto Rally Finland. Rovanperä led the event by 5.7 seconds over Elfyn Evans heading into the stage. The day was shaping up to be one reminiscent of Rally Estonia day three and four. With Rovanperä looking like he was going to take every stage win besides SS2. Which was won by Takamoto Katsuta. If Rovanperä did win all the stages on the day he likely would’ve had his first Rally Finland win in the bag. Unfortunately for Rovanperä, Secto Rally Finland is anything but easy and predictable. 

What Rovanperä’s Return Means

Kalle Rovanperä will be the second car on the road tomorrow. He will also start nearly 30 minutes behind Elfyn Evans who leads the rally. From a realistic standpoint, Rovanperä could climb into maybe a top 20 position at most. With a top 10 position unlikely Rovanperä will likely attempt to preserve tires for the Powerstage. We are also talking about Kalle Rovanperä who was going as slow as he could in Rally Estonia and still beat everyone by a handful of seconds on each stage. Nevertheless, Rovanperä’s roll is proof the reigning champion is indeed human like the rest of the drivers. 

Not The Only Returning Driver

The M-Sport Ford WRT also confirmed Pierre-Louis Loubet will restart Secto Rally Finland on day three. The Frenchman retired on SS3 after going wide and hitting a tree. Just 1km past where teammate Ott Tänak was forced to retire after his engine decided it didn’t want to work anymore. Tänak will not be returning. Loubet will get the honours of road sweeping tomorrow, but he better drive quickly as he will have an angry Fin starting behind him in Kalle Rovanperä.

2 Drivers Out

Ott Tänak wasn’t the only driver confirmed to not be restarting on day three of Secto Rally Finland. As Esapekka Lappi will also not be restarting the event. Esapekka Lappi sat in fourth, 0.3 seconds behind Thierry Neuville before crashing out on SS5. Lappi was the last Finnish driver to win Secto Rally Finland back in 2017. It has since been won by Ott Tänak three times and Elfyn Evans once. Evans currently looks destined to win the event. But as previously mentioned Secto Rally Finland is anything but easy and predictable. 

The second day of Secto Rally Finland has come to an end. Elfyn Evans leads the event after a drama-filled day.

SS2, LAUKAA 1 

Takamoto Katsuta started the second day off with a stage win. Beating Elfyn Evans by 0.5 seconds to take his first stage win of the event. Kalle Rovanperä finished third on the stage, 0.8 seconds slower than Evans. Esapekka Lappi set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.4 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Thierry Neuville would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.3 seconds slower than Lappi.

SS3, LANKAMAA 1

The third stage of Secto Rally Finished was won by Kalle Rovanperä. Who set a time 1.8 seconds faster than Elfyn Evans to take his first stage win of the event. Thierry Neuville finished third fastest on the stage, 2.6 seconds slower than Evans. Esapekka Lappi posted the fourth fastest time, 0.7 seconds slower than Neuville. Takamoto Katsuta would round out the top five on the stage, 2.3 seconds slower than Lappi.

SS4, MYHINPÄÄ 1

Kalle Rovanperä also took the stage win on the fourth stage of his home event. Setting a time 1.4 seconds faster than Elfyn Evans to take the stage win. Esapekka Lappi finished third quickest on the stage, 1.2 seconds slower than Evans. Teemu Suninen set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.2 seconds slower than Lappi. Thierry Neuville rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing a mere 0.1 seconds slower than Suninen.

SS5, HALTTULA 1

Kalle Rovanperä once again took top honours on SS5 of Secto Rally Finland. With the Fin setting a time 0.3 seconds faster than Elfyn Evans to take his third consecutive stage win. Takamoto Katsuta finished third fastest on the stage, 2.4 seconds slower than Evans. Thierry Neuville posted the fourth quickest time on the outing, 0.7 seconds slower than Katsuta. Teemu Suninen rounded out the top five, finishing 3.2 seconds slower than Neuville. 

SS6, LAUKAA 2

Kalle Rovanperä once again took the stage win on the sixth stage. Setting a time 0.2 seconds faster than teammate Takamoto Katsuta. Teemu Suninen finished with his first top-three time, finishing 0.4 seconds slower than Katsuta. Elfyn Evans posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.8 seconds slower than Suninen. Thierry Neuville rounded out the top five on the stage, 2.5 seconds slower than Evans. 

SS7, LANKAMAA 2

If you had guessed Kalle Rovanperä took the stage win on stage 7 of Secto Rally Finland, you’d be correct. As Rovanperä posted a time 0.4 seconds faster than Elfyn Evans to take his fifth consecutive stage win. Takamoto Katsuta finished third fastest on the stage, 1.5 seconds slower than Evans. Thierry Neuville set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.6 seconds slower than Katsuta. Teemu Suninen rounded out the top five on the stage, 0.2 seconds slower than Neuville.

SS8, MYHINPÄÄ 2

Stage 8 would finally see somebody other than Kalle Rovanperä win the stage. With Thierry Neuville taking his first stage win, finishing 2.1 seconds faster than Elfyn Evans. Takamoto Katsuta finished third fastest on the stage, 0.9 seconds slower than Evans. Teemu Suninen set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.5 seconds slower than Katsuta. Jari-Matti Latvala would set his first top-five time on the stage, finishing 5 seconds slower than Suninen. 

SS9, HALTTULA 2

Thierry Neuville once again took the stage win on SS9 of Secto Rally Finland. Setting a time 1.2 seconds faster than Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta who tied for second on the stage. Teemu Suninen finished with the third fastest time on the outing, 2.2 seconds slower than Evans and Katsuta. Jari-Matti Latvala posted the fourth fastest time, 3.2 seconds slower than Suninen. WRC2 driver Oliver Solberg rounded out the top five fastest times on the stage, finishing 8.8 seconds slower than Latvala. 

SS10, HARJU 2

Thierry Neuville also took the final stage win of the second day. Finishing 2.8 seconds faster than Elfyn Evans on the stage. Takamoto Katsuta set the third quickest time on the stage, 3.1 seconds slower than Evans. Teemu Suninen posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.8 seconds slower than Katsuta. Jari-Matti Latvala rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 2.5 seconds slower than Suninen. 

Five Cars Remain, One Will Reign Victorious

The second day of Secto Rally Finland saw a lot of drama. As top runners Kalle Rovanperä (crash), Ott Tänak (engine) and Esapekka Lappi (crash) all retired on the day. Tänak is confirmed out of the event. Rovanperä’s status remains unknown at this time, but it’s likely he will retire as his car is pretty much just a shell at this point. Esapekka Lappi’s status is also unknown at this time. Pierre-Louis Loubet would also crash out of Secto Rally Finland, just 1km from where Tänak retired. Loubet’s status is also unknown at this time. 

What To Expect From Secto Rally Finland Day Three

The third day of Secto Rally Finland will see drivers contest 160.68km across 8 special stages. Thierry Neuville and Elfyn Evans will battle it out for 1st. With just 6.9 seconds separating the pair heading into the day. Teemu Suninen will likely battle with Takamoto Katsuta for third. With just 12.4 seconds separating that pair of drivers. 16.4 seconds separate Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta. As day two proved anything is possible at Secto Rally Finland. 

Kalle Rovanperä Rolls Out Of Secto Rally Finland

Ott Tänak Retires From Secto Rally Finland

Yet another top driver is out of Secto Rally Finland on just the second day. That driver is championship leader Kalle Rovanperä.

What Happened?

On SS8 Kalle Rovanperä would roll his Toyota Yaris Rally1 after hitting a tree after taking a corner. This would force Rovanperä to retire from the event for at least the remainder of Day Two. Looking at the damage, however, he will likely be out of the event completely. The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team will likely try their best to put the championship leader’s car back together, so he can at least put on a show for the fans. 

Disappointment On Home Soil

Kalle Rovanperä was the fan favorite to win Secto Rally Finland. As it’s his home event and everybody loves to win at home. It’s also something Rovanperä has never done and it’ll remain that way for at least another 12 months. Subsequently, no Fin has won Rally Finland since Esapekka Lappi in 2017. This was also the first time Rally Finland had a reigning champion be a Fin in 20 years. As well the Sebastien’s who dominated most of the 2000’s and 2010’s both came from a country starting with an F but unfortunately, the rest of the letters spell France not Finland. 

What Kalle Rovanperä’s Crash Means

Kalle Rovanperä was set to take his first ever Rally Finland win in the top class, and become the first Fin in 6 years to win the event. Rovanperä led Secto Rally Finland by 5.7 seconds over Elfyn Evans heading into the stage. Now with Rovanperä out, 2021 Rally Finland winner Elfyn Evans takes the lead. Now sitting 10.9 seconds ahead of Thierry Neuville who is on pace for his best result in a decade. Now with only 5 Rally1 cars remaining, it’s likely nobody is going to take any major risks as there’s not much of a point. 

Just three stages into Secto Rally Finland a driver would retire from the event. That driver is 2022 winner Ott Tänak.

What Happened?

6.1km into the third stage of Secto Rally Finland Ott Tänak would switch into EV mode on his Ford Puma Rally1. Tänak would subsequently pull off the stage at the next access road, meaning he is done for at least today. The reason for Tänak’s retirement is due to his engine dying. He had a similar issue in Rally Estonia. Which was solved by M-Sport replacing Tänak’s engine. Ultimately costing the Estonian a 5-minute penalty at his home event.

A Disappointing End

Ott Tänak came into Secto Rally Finland looking for his fourth win in the last five years. Unfortunately for him that won’t be happening. Ott Tänak led the rally after SSS1 by 0.6 seconds over Thierry Neuville. Tänak would drop to a tie for second on SS2, 0.4 seconds slower than Kalle Rovanperä. Tänak was one of the favourites to take the win this weekend. Now it looks like Rovanperä’s main competition for the event win is gone once again.

What Ott Tänak’s Retirement Means

With Tänak out of contention for the rally win, and potentially the rally altogether it leaves a door open. A door to a podium position which was expected to be held by Tänak. It also robs us of a Tänak and Rovanperä battle once again. As we didn’t get it in Estonia due to a 5-minute penalty against Tänak, and now this. At this point, I truthfully don’t know if there’s a more unlucky driver in the WRC than Ott Tänak. Rally isn’t just about skill, it’s about luck as well. Any driver can tell you that you could have more skill than Rovanperä but without luck you’re not going to get far. 

The first day of Secto Rally Finland comes to an end. Jari Huttunen leads the WRC2 class after the day.

Shakedown

Oliver Solberg set the fastest WRC2 time on Shakedown. Solberg posted a time 1 second faster than Miko Marczyk to set the fastest shakedown time. Adrien Fourmaux finished third fastest on shakedown, 0.4 seconds slower than Marczyk. Filip Zaldivar set the fourth fastest time on shakedown, 0.4 seconds slower than Fourmaux. Nikolay Gryazin would round out the top five on the shakedown stage, finishing 0.1 seconds slower than Zaldivar.

SSS1, Harju 1

Finnish Rally Championship leader Jari Huttunen posted the fastest time on the first stage of Secto Rally Finland. Huttunen finished 1.1 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin. Andreas Mikkelsen set the third fastest time on the stage, 0.4 seconds slower than Gryazin. Emil Lindholm and Adrien Fourmaux would tie for the fourth fastest time on the stage, with both finishing 0.4 seconds slower than Mikkelsen. Sami Pajari finished with the fifth fastest time 0.2 seconds slower than Lindholm and Fourmaux.

Huttunen Surprises 

Jari Huttunen has only participated in one other WRC event this season. That sole event was Rally Sweden where he would unfortunately retire on SS17. Huttunen has committed to the Finnish Rally Championship this season. In which he is tied for the lead with Lauri Joona. Last season Huttunen competed in Secto Rally Finland. Behind the wheel of a Rally1 car, placing 9th overall, over 6 minutes behind Gus Greensmith. 

What To Expect From Secto Rally Finland Day 2

The second day of Secto Rally Finland will see drivers contest 104.76km across 9 special stages. It’ll feature the first full forest stages of the weekend. It’s expected Jari Huttunen won’t maintain the lead throughout the day. With favorites, Emil Lindholm and Sami Pajari expected to take the rally lead in WRC2. But Rally Finland is anything but predictable. 

The first day of Secto Rally Finland has come to an end. Ott Tänak leads the WRC1 class after the day.

Shakedown

Kalle Rovanperä topped the shakedown stage at his home event. Setting a time 0.8 seconds faster than 2021 winner Elfyn Evans. Esapekka Lappi finished third fastest on the shakedown stage, 0.3 seconds slower than Evans. Ott Tänak posted the fourth fastest time, a mere 0.1 seconds slower than Lappi. Takamoto Katsuta would round out the top five on the shakedown stage, finishing 0.2 seconds slower than Tänak. 

SSS1, Harju 1

Ott Tänak posted the fastest time on the opening stage of Secto Rally Finland. Finishing 0.6 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to take the stage win. Kalle Rovanperä finished with the third quickest time on the outing, 0.1 seconds slower than Neuville. Esapekka Lappi set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.1 seconds slower than fellow Fin Kalle Rovanperä. Elfyn Evans would round out the top five on the first test of the Rally, finishing 0.1 seconds slower than Lappi.

Picking Up Where He Left Off

2022 Secto Rally Finland winner Ott Tänak would pick up where he left off. Taking home the first stage win of the event, which could prove critical later on in the weekend. Tänak didn’t win the SuperSpecial stage last season. As Thierry Neuville took that honor. 

Underwhelming Start For Latvala

Jari-Matti Latvala is returning to WRC competition this weekend behind the wheel of a Toyota Yaris Rally1. Latvala finished with the slowest time of all the Rally1 cars. Finishing just 0.2 seconds ahead of Jari Huttunen who won the stage in the WRC2 class, and 3.5 seconds slower than Teemu Suninen. Latvala wasn’t expected to do great this weekend. As he is driving a Yaris with the same specs as last season. Nevertheless, Latvala still has time to improve his position, as only 1 stage has finished so far. 

What To Expect From Secto Rally Finland Day 2

The second day of Secto Rally Finland will see drivers contest 104.76km across 9 special stages. It’ll feature the first full forest stages of the weekend. Ott Tänak is expected to remain in the battle for the rally win. Well looking to take home his 4th Rally Finland victory in the last 5 years. Kalle Rovanperä is likely going to look to stop Tänak from winning the event. On the way to becoming the first Fin to win Rally Finland in 6 years.