WRC What Could The 2024 Calendar Look Like?

Recent rumors have suggested the 2024 WRC calendar could be released early next month or sometime this month, but what could it look like? 

Confirmed Events 

11 of the 13 events from the 2023 WRC Calendar are expected to return next season. Those events being the following:

• Rallye Monte-Carlo
• Rally Sweden
• Croatia Rally
• Rally De Portugal
• Rally Italia Sardegna 
• Safari Rally Kenya
• Secto Rally Finland
• EKO Acropolis Rally Greece
• Central European Rally
• Rally Chile Bio Bio
• Forum8 Rally Japan
• Rally Latvia 

Latvia was confirmed to be a part of the 2024 schedule earlier in the season. With the event replacing the fan favorite Rally Estonia. 

What Other Events Could Be Added?

Rally Poland

Rally Poland has been the event largely rumored to be returning to the World Rally Championship next season. With it last being featured on the WRC calendar in 2017 when Thierry Neuville won. Rally Poland was first featured on a WRC calendar during the 1973 season. Achim Warmbold took home the win at the event that year. The event was absent for 36 years, reappearing in 2009. The event was once again absent from the calendar for the 2010 through 2013 runnings. Reappearing in 2014 and staying on the calendar until 2017. The event has since been a mainstay on the European Championship calendar. Latvian driver Martins Sesks won the 2023 running of the event back in May. 

Rally Argentina 

Rally Argentina may be one of the favorites amongst the fans to return to the calendar. It’s unlikely the event will return for the 2024 season, however. Although it would be nice to see the event that was previously a mainstay on the WRC calendar return. Especially with Rally Mexico likely not being on the calendar. Having two events in the Americas seemed like the plan for the WRC this season onward. It looks like that has changed, however. From a championship standpoint, it makes sense especially if you can’t get Rally Chile and whatever other Rally in the Americas one after the other. As a result of it not being cheap for the teams to transport the cars across the ocean four times in a season. Nevertheless, if the WRC found a way to make the event work drivers and fans would likely love to see the event back. 

What Schedule Changes Could Be Made?

Safari Rally Kenya

It has also been rumored that Safari Rally Kenya will return to a date around Easter. Much like the event ran until 1998 when the event was moved to February. Later moving to July for the 2001 season. If this were to happen the event would take Rally Mexico’s spot from the season and be the third event on the calendar as a result. One of the two previously mentioned events will likely take its date in June. 

Rally Latvia 

With Rally Latvia coming in as an unofficial Rally Estonia’s replacement it’s likely the event will take place in July. If the previously mentioned move for Safari Rally Kenya does indeed happen the event could take place in June with a different event taking place in July. 

Where’s Rally USA?

A WRC return to the United States had been rumored for the 2024 season. With a test event taking place in March and a volunteer training in September. It looks like Rally fans in the USA will have to wait another year for the WRC to return for the first time since 1988. A return to the USA has been long awaited for many die-hard fans of the sport. Unfortunately setting up an event to the scale of what’s needed for the WRC isn’t an easy task. 

The Expected 2024 WRC Calendar 

• Rallye Monte Carlo (January)
• Rally Sweden (February) 
• Safari Rally Kenya (March) 
• Croatia Rally (April) 
• Vodafone Rally De Portugal (May) 
• Rally Italia Sardegna (June) 
• Unknown Rally (June)
• Rally Latvia (July) 
• Secto Rally Finland (August)
• EKO Acropolis Rally Greece (September)
• Rally Chile Bio Bio (September)
• Central European Rally (October)
• Forum8 Rally Japan (November) 

Secto Rally Finland has come to an end. Elfyn Evans held on to take a dominant win at the event.

Championship Standings

Reigning Champion Kalle Rovanperä did not take home any points at Secto Rally Finland due to him crashing out. Meaning Elfyn Evans was able to close the gap between him and Rovanperä to 25 points from 55. Evans subsequently expanded the gap between him and Thierry Neuville to 11 points from 3. Ott Tänak remains fourth, now 30 points behind Neuville. Sebastien Ogier who hasn’t driven since Kenya remains fifth. The championship at this point is a three-horse race, as it realistically can be won by Neuville, Evans or Rovanperä. Mathematically every WRC1 driver and Oliver Solberg (WRC2) can still win the championship. 

Day One

The first day of Secto Rally Finland saw drivers race a single 3.48km stage. 2022 winner Ott Tänak won the stage. Taking a 0.6-second lead over Thierry Neuville into the second day.

Day Two

The second day of the event and the first full day of competition saw drivers compete 104.76km across 9 stages. Elfyn Evans came out on top after the day. Leading Thierry Neuville by 6.9 seconds. Kalle Rovanperä led the event for part of the day, until rolling on SS8 and retiring. Ott Tänak and Pierrr-Louis Loubet retired on SS3. Tänak retired due to his engine being destroyed. While Loubet crashed out and would return on day three. 2017 winner Esapekka Lappi also crashed out and retired from the event. 

Day Three

The third day saw drivers compete 160.68km across 8 stages. Elfyn Evans took all but one stage win on the day. Expanding his lead over Neuville to 32.1 seconds. Day three saw no major action in WRC1. Which was a bit of a surprise after the second day eliminated half the field. Teemu Suninen and Takamoto Katsuta battled for third. A battle that ended with Katsuta 6.4 seconds ahead of Suninen at the end of the day. 

Day Four

The fourth and final day of Secto Rally Finland saw drivers compete 51.64km across the final 4 stages. Elfyn Evans once again won all but one stage on the final day of the event. All on the way to winning the event with a 39.1-second lead over Neuville. Evans also took the Powerstage win to take home the maximum 30 points on his second event win of the season. 

Evans Dominates

Elfyn Evans won 10 of the 22 stages of Secto Rally Finland. A number that is double the amount Kalle Rovanperä won. Evans was only challenged by Thierry Neuville at the end of the second day. But from the third day on Evans was untouchable. Only being beaten on two stages by Takamoto Katsuta who had an incredible event. 

WRC Secto Rally Finland has come to a close. Elfyn Evans won the event but the true winners were the fans, but how?

Why Were Fans The True Winners?

Elfyn Evans was the driver winner for Secto Rally Finland, but the fans won in a different way. The big win for the fans is a now prolonged Driver’s’ Championship battle. As now just 25 points separate Elfyn Evans and reigning champion Kalle Rovanperä. If Rovanperä claimed the full 30 points in Finland like he was on pace too. We would’ve been spending the next month or so doing a whole lot of math to see how Rovanperä could clinch the championship at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece. Now that math will have to wait for at least another round. Rovanperä will still likely win the championship. As he doesn’t make many mistakes like the one made this weekend. Nevertheless, the battle will be prolonged. Giving fans something to talk about for just that little bit longer.

Not Just A Two-Man Race

The battle for the championship isn’t a two-man race, however. As Thierry Neuville also has a decently good chance of winning his first championship. Although he will have to fight tooth and nail for it. With 36 points now separating him and Rovanperä and just 11 points between him and Evans. Neuville won EKO Acropolis Rally Greece last year. Amid a Hyundai podium sweep. Which saw Ott Tänak place second and Dani Sordo place third. 

When Could The Championship Be Won?

The earliest the championship could be won under a plethora of circumstances is Rally Chile Bio Bio at the end of next month. One of the less confusing circumstances for the championship to be handed out there would be for Evans to score 0 points in Greece. Well Rovanperä takes the maximum 30 points, and Neuville scores somewhere under a top-three finish. It gets much more confusing if all three finish the event on the podium. If that were to happen the earlier the championship would be won is the new Central European Rally in October. Which will likely be when the championship is handed out anyway. But like anything the WRC is extremely unpredictable. 

The fourth and final day of Secto Rally Finland has come to an end. Sami Pajari held on to claim the WRC2 class victory.

SS19, MOKSI-SAHLOINEN 1

Emil Lindholm took the win on the 19th stage of the weekend. Finishing 0.1 seconds faster than Oliver Solberg to take the stage win. Roope Korhonen set the third fastest time on the stage, 0.2 seconds slower than Solberg. Andreas Mikkelsen posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.4 seconds slower than Korhonen. Sami Pajari rounded out the top five times on the stage, 1.3 seconds slower than Mikkelsen. 

SS20, HIMOS-JÄMSÄ 1

Nikolay Gryazin won the 20th stage of Secto Rally Finland. With Gryazin posting a time 0.9 seconds faster than Emil Lindholm to take the stage win. Andreas Mikkelsen finished third fastest on the stage, 0.3 seconds slower than Lindholm. Oliver Solberg set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.4 seconds slower than Mikkelsen. Adrien Fourmaux rounded out the top five fastest times on the stage, 0.5 seconds slower than Solberg. 

SS21, MOKSI-SAHLOINEN 2

Stage 21 saw Emil Lindholm take his second stage win of the day. Setting a time 2 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin to take the stage win. Oliver Solberg finished third fastest on the stage, 0.1 seconds slower than Gryazin. Sami Pajari posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2.7 seconds slower than Solberg. Roope Korhonen rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 1.2 seconds slower than Pajari. 

SS22, HIMOS-JÄMSÄ 2

Emil Lindholm also took the stage win on the final stage of Secto Rally Finland. With Lindholm finishing 1.1 seconds faster than Oliver Solberg to take the stage win. Nikolay Gryazin finished third fastest on the stage, 0.1 seconds slower than Solberg. Andreas Mikkelsen set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.7 seconds slower than Gryazin. Roope Korhonen rounded out the top five on the stage, 0.9 seconds slower than Mikkelsen.

Pajari Holds On

Sami Pajari didn’t win a single stage on the final day of Secto Rally Finland. He would control the gap between him and Adrien Fourmaux to secure the win. This is also Pajari’s first win of the WRC2 season. 

The fourth and final day of Secto Rally Finland has come to an end. Elfyn Evans held on to take his second win of the season. 

SS19, MOKSI-SAHLOINEN 1

Elfyn Evans picked up pretty much where he left off, taking yet another stage win. With Evans setting a time 1 second faster than Teemu Suninen to take the stage win. Takamoto Katsuta finished third fastest on the stage, 1.9 seconds slower than Suninen. Thierry Neuville posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.6 seconds slower than Katsuta. Jari-Matti Latvala rounded out the top five times on the stage, finishing 4.9 seconds slower than Neuville.

SS20, HIMOS-JÄMSÄ 1

Takamoto Katsuta took the stage win on the 20th stage of Secto Rally Finland. Setting a time 1.3 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to take the stage win. Teemu Suninen finished third quickest on the outing, 1.4 seconds slower than Neuville. Elfyn Evans posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.5 seconds slower than Suninen. Jari-Mark Latvala once again rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 1.2 seconds slower than Evans. 

SS21, MOKSI-SAHLOINEN 2

Elfyn Evans was back on top at the end of SS21, taking another stage win. With Evans posting a time 4.5 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to take the stage win. Teemu Suninen finished with the third fastest time on the stage, 0.5 seconds slower than Neuville. Takamoto Katsuta set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.9 seconds slower than Suninen. Jari-Matti Latvala once again rounded out the top five times on the stage, finishing 4.8 seconds slower than Katsuta. 

SS22, HIMOS-JÄMSÄ 2 (WOLF POWER STAGE)

Elfyn Evans finished Secto Rally Finland taking yet another stage win. With Evans posting a time 0.8 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to take the stage win. Teemu Suninen finished third fastest on the stage, 1.4 seconds slower than Neuville. Takamoto Katsuta set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.9 seconds slower than Suninen. Jari-Matti Latvala would once again round out the top five times on the stage, finishing 4.3 seconds slower than Katsuta. 

Evans Continued To Dominate

Eflyn Evans once again won the majority of the stages on the day. Taking three of the four stage wins including the Powerstage win. All on the way to winning Secto Rally Finland for the second time in the last 5 event runnings. 

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.