Метка: Rally Finland

Third car strategy the main doubt over Hyundai’s 2025 WRC driver line-up

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Hyundai’s strategy for its third car is the “main question mark” regarding its 2025 World Rally Championship driver line-up, says team principal Cyril Abiteboul.

The Korean marque has fielded three i20 N Rally1s this season with two of those driven by full-time drivers in Thierry Neuville and 2019 world champion Ott Tanak, with its third car split across Esapekka Lappi, Andreas Mikkelsen and Dani Sordo.

Hyundai is yet to confirm its driver plans for next season with championship leader Neuville’s current deal set to expire at the end of the season, while the team has an option to extend Tanak’s contract after rejoining the squad from M-Sport this year.

Abiteboul says there is an ongoing process regarding its driver line-up for next year with the main focus on plans for the third car.

“There is an ongoing process. We are talking about next year [with Thierry], he knows the place, we know him, it is a winning pair, so why would we change it?” Abiteboul told Motorsport.com.

Neuville was quizzed about his future, adding: “There is no update, but I’m not too concerned anymore.”

When asked specifically about Tanak’s future, Abiteboul said: “There is an option, and we will talk about that. I think we enjoy working together, so I think an option would be something pretty natural to be exercised.”

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

But in terms of the third car, Abiteboul is keen to “explore scenarios”, having opted to run Mikkelsen largely on asphalt events this year (Monte Carlo, Croatia), with Sweden and gravel rallies, apart from Poland, split between veteran Sordo (Portugal, Sardinia) and Lappi (Sweden, Kenya, Latvia and Finland).

Lappi has scored the most points to date with 33 from four events, including 19 from winning Rally Sweden. Mikkelsen has scored 29 points while Sordo has accrued 27 from only two events.

“The main question mark for us would be the strategy on the third car,” said Abiteboul. “As for the third car I’m at a point where I want to explore scenarios. I want to be open-minded about what to do and reflect on what we did this year and assess if we have done the right thing and if it is the right thing to carry over into next year.”

Should Hyundai wish to opt for an alternative strategy and look outside its current drivers for next year, there could be various options. The team was last year linked with M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux, who is enjoying his best WRC season to date, headlined by four third-place finishes.

When asked if he had started talks about his 2025 plans, Fourmaux said: “I think it is the moment where we start the discussion. First of all, I hope I will be in a Rally1 car next year.

“As a driver, you need to be talking with everybody, and if you want to be a Rally1 driver there are three teams, so you need to speak with the three teams.”

It is likely all WRC teams will be keeping an eye on WRC2 leader Oliver Solberg, who harbours a wish to return to a Rally1 car in the future following his part-time campaign with Hyundai in 2022.

“To be honest, I don’t know anything about next year. I have a lot of dreams and a lot of goals, but I have nothing yet,” said Solberg.

“Of course, I’m only 22 and the dream is to be back in a Rally1 obviously, but I don’t think about it too much. I will do my best now and can only focus on that.”



Source link

Pajari among Toyota’s driver options for WRC in 2025

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Sami Pajari is a potential driver option for Toyota in the World Rally Championship next year following an impressive Rally1 debut in Finland, according to team principal Jari-Matti Latvala.

Toyota handed WRC2 title contenders Pajari and co-driver Enni Malkonen an opportunity to showcase their potential piloting a fifth GR Yaris Rally1 car in last weekend’s Rally Finland.

The duo turned heads by finishing fourth overall while claiming a maiden stage win by setting a fastest time on stage nine [Ruuhimaki].

The strong finish to the event came after Pajari was caught out by the tricky wet conditions on stage two, which resulted in a wild moment that damaged the rear of his car.

His performance across the 20 stages has impressed Latvala, who said that it showed Pajari had the potential to be a full-time Rally1 driver in the future.

“They did a great job, I think. It was a difficult start on the first stage, and it was looking not so promising. But the way he was able to put himself together, he then became very strong and got a fastest stage time,” Latvala told Motorsport.com.

“He’s very strong on the mental side, which was really good to see. I think he really showed his potential to be, let’s say, a full-time Rally1 driver.

“At the moment his focus is on WRC2 because we want him to try to fight for the championship. He still has a chance, and we want him to concentrate on that. But of course, we are talking about what we would do with him for next year.”

Sami Pajari, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Sami Pajari, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

Toyota is yet to confirm its full driver line-up for next year, although Kalle Rovanpera signed a multi-year deal last year, which included a return to a full-time campaign next year.

«I think it normally start after Rally Finland so when you have to start looking at the contracts for the for the next year,» he added. «So of course, at the moment I think we are in quite a good position.

«We will try to keep the drivers for sure. But then there are a few question marks like what Seb wants to do, does he want to drive next year? And then of course with Sami and so on, so there are a few points which we need to start clearing.»

When asked if Pajari was among the team’s options to consider for next year, he added: “Yes. Of course, we need to look and think about it.”

Pajari declared himself happy with his Rally Finland performance but is conscious of the fact that there is room for improvement.

“There are so many emotions it’s not so easy to pick the one which is on top,” said Pajari.

“Of course, I’m really, really happy for the big performance that we had and this result is really acceptable on the first rally in Rally1, and also one stage win is, let’s say, a cherry on the top of the cake. But there are a lot of things that I would like to do much better. There is always room to improve.

“The emotions are a bit mixed. The result on paper is really nice, but if you look at the fact that Kalle retired [from the lead] on the second-to-last stage, I’m not so able to feel happy, as for the team it is a big loss – and for Kalle himself. But I think this shows how tricky this rally has been. Many, many drivers had some troubles on the way.”

Pajari admitted he would like to make a Rally1 return “very soon” but remains focused on fighting for the WRC2 title.

“I hope very soon [to be back in a Rally1 car] after driving one week with this car, it is so amazing, and it is something I would really like to do as soon as possible,” he added.

“The main goal for this season is we are doing the full WRC2 campaign, and the championship fight is still on a good level for us.”

Read Also:



Source link

Neuville sees Ogier as WRC title rival after Finland rollercoaster

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


World Rally Championship leader Thierry Neuville sees Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier as his main title rival despite the latter yet to officially commit to the remaining rounds.

The WRC title race has a different complexion after a Rally Finland Neuville described as a «roller coaster of emotions» that has left the Belgian with a 27-point lead in the standings.

That lead is now over eight-time world champion Ogier, who is contesting a part-time campaign this year, which has yielded three wins and three second place finishes from his six rounds to date.

Ogier won last weekend’s Rally Finland claiming 24 points [18 on Saturday, five on Super Sunday and one on the Power Stage] which helped the Frenchman climb above full-timers Toyota’s Elfyn Evans and Hyundai’s Ott Tanak in the championship standings. Evans and Tanak both left Finland empty-handed after crashes and are now 36 and 31 points behind respectively.

Ogier has been asked by Toyota to drive the remaining events — Greece, Chile, Central Europe and Japan — with the Frenchman, who said he is yet to get a «feeling» for a ninth world title push, expected to make a decision in the next two weeks.

Neuville however has sights already fixed on Ogier as his title rival.

When asked who his main rival is after Finland, Neuville said: «Number two, which is Mr Ogier at the moment.

«He may not feel it [like pushing for a title] but he has been there on the last rallies and he’s fighting for every single point. For sure [I’m thinking about him].»

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Neuville’s Rally Finland had seemed like a damage limitation exercise as the Belgian struggled to find confidence behind the wheel of his i20 N.

However, shock retirements for long-time leader Kalle Rovanpera and Elfyn Evans on the penultimate stage earned Neuville 24 points, boosted by scoring eight of the 12 points available for Super Sunday.

Despite the challenges he faced with his car, Neuville felt his clever approach paid dividends in the circumstances.

«It was a pure roller coaster of emotions this weekend. We had high hopes, but somehow we realised already in shakedown that things were not working as we would like and it could be a challenging weekend, which it was,» he added.

Read Also:

«The performance wasn’t great all the time, it was a bit up and down and they were challenging [wet] conditions to drive in. We understood quickly that we had to have a clever approach and focus on bringing home important points.

«Our two team-mates that crashed out on Friday gave us a lot of pressure because the team desperately needed a car in the points, but we constantly managed and changed our approach according to the situation.»



Source link

Evans’ WRC title hopes “difficult” after Finland crash

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Elfyn Evans admitted it is “looking difficult” to claim a maiden World Rally Championship title after leaving Rally Finland without scoring any points.

The Toyota driver has dropped to fourth in the standings, 36 points adrift of championship leader Thierry Neuville after crashing out on the penultimate stage.

Evans was firmly in the victory hunt after trailing then leader and team-mate Kalle Rovanpera by eight seconds at the end of Friday.

However, the Welshman’s rally began to unravel when his GR Yaris suffered a driveshaft failure on Saturday morning. Evans incurred a 2m40s penalty for being 16 minutes late out of the midday service following a lengthy repair that put him outside of the points-paying positions at the end of Saturday.

Evans attempted to salvage his weekend by challenging for Super Sunday points before being caught out by the first corner on stage 19 that resulted in a rally-ending accident.

“It was a corner we managed quite OK in the morning [loop]. But I had a bit of understeer in the ruts in the afternoon, and we were caught out from there really,” said Evans.

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

“It feels like a bit of a clumsy accident looking back at it, but there wasn’t anything I could do to save it.

“We know that it’s a tricky corner anyway, but unfortunately it was more the way the car reacted in the rut more than the ultimate speed, it is one of those things.”

With Evans on the sidelines and rally leader Rovanpera crashing out, Neuville left the rally with a healthy haul of 23 points.

Read Also:

While Evans conceded his title bid has been damaged, the Toyota driver is not giving up on the championship aspirations with four events in Greece, Chile, Central Europe and Japan remaining.

“For the championship, it is looking difficult now and we’ve definitely done a lot of damage this weekend. In the end we had to give it a shot, let’s say, but for the rest of the year, it still all open, and we’ll continue to give our best until the end,” Evans added.

“We know things can change quickly, but with four rounds to go the chances of clawing that deficit back is less and less, but we still have to give our all to the end.”



Source link

Rovanpera reflects on «unreal» Rally Finland exit

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Kalle Rovanpera says losing a likely maiden World Rally Championship victory on home soil on the penultimate stage is “quite an unreal feeling” after a near perfect Rally Finland.

The two-time world champion was on course to become the first Finn to win the event since 2015, having won 11 stages that helped the Toyota driver into 45.8s lead over team-mate Sebastien Ogier heading into stage 19.

However, Rovanpera was unable to avoid a rock in the road that pitched his GR Yaris into a roll that ended his rally on the spot, handing the victory to Ogier.

It was the second Rally Finland in a row where Rovanpera has rolled out of a lead at his home event. The Finn said there was “no chance” to avoid the rock.

“Basically, the last proper corner of the stage, quite high-speed, a fourth-gear corner, and when you go into the driving line a bit later on, the middle of the corner, there was some rocks and there was no chance to avoid it in any way,” Rovanpera told Motorsport.com.

“We just took the hit and that was really big, then we saw the rock later and it as a really big one.

“There was no rock for the guys in front of us, I only saw the onboard and there was nothing.”

Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

After losing out on a likely victory after dominating the rally, Rovanpera, added: “It is a quite unbelievable feeling when you do the whole weekend perfectly, the team and everybody has done a great job and we were so fast and had no moments or issues, all the time we were in control.

“Then something like this happens and you cannot avoid it yourself, it is quite an unreal feeling.”

Read Also:

Rovanpera’s team-mate Elfyn Evans, who crashed out on the first corner of the same stage moments before the incident admitted it was “super unlucky”.

“I really feel for him there is nothing you can do in that situation,” Evans told Motorsport.com.

“We’ve seen so many guys have accidents like this in the past Seb [Ogier] has had one in testing, [Hayden] Paddon had one here one year and couldn’t start the rally.

“It’s probably the one of the biggest risks, let’s say in Rally Finland, is like having a loose stone on top of a rut like that. At high speed the car is low and you’re just a passenger.”



Source link

No “feeling” yet for WRC title push as points system “devalues” championship

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Sebastien Ogier doesn’t yet have the “feeling” to challenge for a ninth World Rally Championship title, while again taking aim at the points system that he feels is devaluing the title race.

The eight-time world champion, competing in part-time season, has emerged as Thierry Neuville’s nearest rival in the championship after taking victory at Rally Finland after long-time leader and team-mate Kalle Rovanpera rolled on the penultimate stage.

Ogier is now 27 points behind Neuville with four events remaining and has already been asked by his Toyota team to do more events given his success this year.

A run of three wins and three second place finishes from six events has posed the question that Ogier could go on to claim a ninth world title should he extend his campaign.

After crossing the finish line in Finland, Ogier said: “I have to see [if we do a full campaign] but it looks like I have no other option. It is not my priority anymore.”

When asked by Motorsport.com about his plans for the remaining of the year, Ogier played down talk of a title fight and instead took aim at championship’s new points system that has helped put him in this position.

Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

“I think we’re going to have more and more pressure to do that [the rest of the year and going for the title] anyway, inside me, I don’t really have it yet, this wish, this feeling because I don’t value those things [titles] as much as people think maybe,” he explained.

“Especially with this points system, it’s simply a joke, it’s devaluing even more this championship. There will be a winner at the end [of the season] but will it be the one who deserves it, nobody knows.”

Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala admitted his squad is not “friends” of the points system but expects a decision from Ogier about his plans for the rest of the season before the end of the month. It is anticipated that Ogier will participate in Greece next month.

“With Seb I have mentioned that I would like him to drive more events. I’m waiting for his answer, but I think the chance he is now in the championship as he is second, we should try to keep the fight on and let him drive all the events. 

“It’s a very difficult situation, but at least we need to keep trying. Without trying, we cannot win anything,” Latvala told Motorsport.com.

“We are not the friends with the points system, but we cannot change it. I think in a couple weeks’ time we should know.”

Sébastien Ogier, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, Jari-Matti Latvala, Team principal Toyota Gazoo Racing

Sébastien Ogier, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, Jari-Matti Latvala, Team principal Toyota Gazoo Racing

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Reflecting on a second career Rally Finland win in what proved to be one of the most demanding editions of the event, Ogier said it was difficult to find happiness after what happened to Rovanpera.

“It was a little bit too brutal, if you ask me, I would honestly prefer being second right now, but motorsport is like this sometimes, sometimes it’s unfair,” said Ogier.

“I lost the win in Sardinia [this year] with bad luck, today I got it with luck. But I cannot feel too much happiness inside me, and maybe it will come afterwards because still it is a win in Finland.

“It is still one of the rallies everyone wants to win the most, so I will probably at some point be happy with it, but right now I’m not.”



Source link

Ogier clinches victory after Rovanpera rolls

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Sebastien Ogier claimed his third World Rally Championship victory of the season after long-time Rally Finland leader Kalle Rovanpera rolled out, denying him a home win in a brutal rally.

Eight-time world champion Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais produced a strong drive throughout a demanding Rally Finland affected by changeable weather to seal a 61st career win by 40.1s from championship leader Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, with M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux third 1m14.1s behind Ogier.

While Ogier briefly held the rally lead after stage two on Friday, the event was dominated by two-time world champion Rovanpera who set his sights on becoming the first Finn to win the rally since Jari-Matti Latvala’s triumph in 2015.

Rovanpera snatched the rally lead from Ogier on stage three before then losing it to team-mate Elfyn Evans on the next test as crews faced challenging wet conditions. However, Rovanpera wrestled back the advantage on stage five to lead by 0.2s.

However, once ahead Rovanpera didn’t look back, moving into an eight-second lead over Evans with Ogier 0.6s further back at the end of Friday. On Saturday, Rovanpera left his rivals behind winning five of the six stages including two passes through the famous Ouninpohja stage that made its return after a seven-year hiatus. Rovanpera’s second pass smashed the stage record previously held by Kris Meeke by 23.9s.

A driveshaft failure and lengthy midday service repair that incurred a 2m40s penalty put Evans out of the victory fight and the Saturday points-paying positions. This elevated Ogier, who opted not to attack, into second, 44.2s behind the dominant Rovanpera, who provisionally claimed 18 points for topping Saturday ahead of Ogier [15 points] and Neuville [10 points].

Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

However, the rally was turned on its head on Sunday. Rovanpera had extended his lead over Ogier out to 45.8s after winning the first two morning stages, but drama struck the Finn on the penultimate stage when he clipped a rock in the road which pitched his GR Yaris into a roll and out of the rally. It was the second year in succession Rovanpera had rolled out of the lead at Rally Finland.

The accident occurred moments after Evans crashed on the first corner of the same stage which left the WRC title contender without any points after missing out on the top 10 at the end of Saturday.

This left Ogier to cruise to victory on the final stage to move the part-time driver to second in the championship, 27 points behind Neuville.

Neuville claimed second after a difficult rally that began with the Belgian grabbing an early lead by winning the opening stage. He then dropped down the order when he overshot a junction in stage three losing 13s, before struggling with the handling of his i20 N throughout Friday and Saturday.

Neuville did however extend his championship lead after inheriting 15 Saturday points following Rovanpera’s exit, while rivals Evans and Ott Tanak failed to score points. Tanak’s rally ended on stage three when he lost control and rolled before colliding with a tree, which briefly red-flagged the stage. Co-driver Martin Jarveoja was taken hospital here he spent Friday night before being released.

M-Sport’s Fourmaux was among those to struggle with his car at times in the challenging conditions, but the Frenchman drove smartly to secure third, his fourth rostrum of the season.

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Fourmaux finished ahead of the impressive Sami Pajari, who claimed fourth [+1m54.5s] on his Rally1 debut driving a fifth Toyota GR Yaris.

Pajari suffered an excursion on stage two that damaged his car but was able to recover to end Friday with a first WRC stage win in only nine attempts as he triumphed on the Ruuhimaki test. He then backed that pace up by being narrowly beaten on Ouninpohja by Rovanpera and Ogier.

Oliver Solberg took a valuable WRC2 win after finishing an impressive fifth overall [+ 8m15.5s] ahead of Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala making a one-off WRC2 outing.

Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta ran as high as fourth before he clipped a tree on Friday that ripped his right rear wheel off his GR Yaris. Katusta was able to return to action and won the Power Stage on Sunday.

Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi took over fourth, but suffered a similar fate when he bounced out of a rut into trees, but topped the Super Sunday standings.

M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster rejoined the rally on Sunday after rolling out of seventh on Saturday.



Source link

Rovanpera, Evans crash out on penultimate stage

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Rally Finland leader Kalle Rovanpera and Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans have crashed out of the World Rally Championship event on the penultimate stage.

World champion Rovanpera appeared to be on course to claim his first WRC win on home soil having taken a 45.8s lead into stage 19 [Sahloinen-Moksi, 14.27km].

However, the Finn clipped a rock on the inside of left-hand corner which sent his GR Yaris into the trees. Rovanpera and co-driver Jonne Halttunen were able to exit the vehicle unharmed, but their victory hopes were ended on the spot.

Rovanpera’s exit has now handed the rally lead to Sebastien Ogier, who heads Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville by 42.5s, with M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux in third.

The incident appeared just moments after Evans crashed out on the same stage meaning the World Rally Championship contender will leave the event without any points.

The Toyota driver lost control of his GR Yaris on the first corner of stage 19 [Sahloinen-Moksi, 14.27km] which resulted in immediate retirement.

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Going into a left-hand corner the car appeared to snap toward the right sending Evans and co-driver Scott Martin wide into a ditch. The car then clattered into trees which fired it across the road and into another set of trees. Evans and Martin were unharmed in the incident.

Evans quickly exited the car to clear the road of debris to allow the stage to continue with his GR Yaris perched on the edge of the road.

The crash has brought a premature end to a difficult event that left Evans fighting to salvage only the 12 Super Sunday points, after a driveshaft failure on Saturday put the Welshman out of the victory battle having held second position at the end of Friday.

Evans was then 16 minutes late out of service as the broken driveshaft caused further damage to the car which required a lengthy repair incurring a 2m40s penalty that put him out of the points positions on Saturday.

Evans joins fellow title contender Ott Tanak on the sidelines after the Hyundai driver crashed out on stage three on Friday.

As a result, Hyundai’s Neuville is set to increase his championship lead with four rallies of the season remaining in Greece, Chile, Central Europe and Japan.



Source link

Rovanpera continues domination to extend lead

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Kalle Rovanpera further extended his Rally Finland lead on Sunday morning as the Finn bids to claim a first World Rally Championship victory on home soil.

The reigning world champion increased his advantage to 45.8s by winning the pair of morning stages over eight-time world champion and fellow part-time Toyota driver Sebastien Ogier.

Rovanpera’s pace thrusted him to the top of the Super Sunday standings by 1.2s from an eager team-mate Elfyn Evans hoping to limit the damage of Saturday’s driveshaft failure.

Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville continued to hold third overall [+ 1m28.8s] ahead of M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux [+1m56.8s] and Toyota’s Rally1 rookie Sami Pajari [+2m37.4s]. Oliver Solberg led the WRC2 class in sixth overall [+8m15.5s] from Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala, enjoying a one-off outing.

M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster rejoined the rally after his team completed an impressive rebuild of his Puma that suffered heavy damage from a roll in Saturday’s stage 11.

Rovanpera didn’t need to push such was his advantage, but the Finn set the fastest time on Sunday’s opening test stage 17 [Sahloinen-Moksi, 14.27km]. The effort, that included a minor moment, extended his overnight lead on Ogier to 45.6s.

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

The rally leader was 0.4s faster than Evans, who was desperate to start Sunday on the front foot after missing out on Saturday points, while the Welsh driver wasn’t expecting any team orders to assist his mission to claim the maximum 12 Super Sunday points.

“We have to see what is possible, it was a very clean run in here. Not sure it was quite brave enough, but we’ll see what [the time] looks like. Normally we’re in this on our own because of points, that’s how it has always been at Toyota. We need to do our job first,” said Evans.

Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi was third fastest ahead of Ogier and Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, while championship leader Neuville could only manage the sixth fastest time 4.4s adrift, as the Belgian continued to struggle with his i20 N’s balance.

“I need to take too much risk if I want to go faster and there is no reason to take risk. We do worry [about Super Sunday], but I don’t need to go faster,” said Neuville.

The stage did feature wild moments for Fourmaux and Sami Pajari, the former briefly lost the rear of his Puma while the latter ran off the road into an open area of grass where he spun before rejoining the road.

Rovanpera notched up his 11th stage win of the event by pipping Ogier by 0.2s through the tight and technical Laajavuori, 4.35km test, that will also host the Power Stage.

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

“The stage is really cool for the fans but otherwise this micky mouse shit is not the best, I try to enjoy, at least with a rally car it is not too bad,” said Rovanpera.

Neuville was third fastest 0.6s adrift that put him sixth in the Super Sunday standings behind Rovanpera, Ogier, Evans, Lappi and Katsuta.

A second pass of the two stages will conclude Rally Finland.



Source link