Finland (WRC) - 3-6 Aug 23

12 Motorsport Ireland competition licence holders are set to contest this weekend’s Secto Automotive Rally Finland

Posted: August 2, 2023 8:22 AM

Home ambitions await WRC leaders Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen

Posted: August 2, 2023 8:14 AM

With one world title already under his belt and a second FIA World Rally Championship crown edging ever closer, life is good for Kalle Rovanperä. But despite rewriting rallying’s history books on several occasions, the 22-year-old has never managed to win on home soil.

That’s exactly what Rovanperä is setting out to do this week when Secto Rally Finland’s (3 - 6 August) rollercoaster roads play host to round nine of the 13-stop global series.

The Toyota star arrives in his hometown Jyväskylä 55 points clear at the top of the standings and eager to continue his winning streak after dominating last month’s Rally Estonia on similarly high-speed terrain.

“There’s always more excitement and huge support from all the fans and I want to try my best to win it if we can,” he said. “At the same time, we have to be clever with the championship in mind, not to waste the lead that we’ve built.”

Cars frequently top 200kph on undulating gravel roads amid the forests and lakes of central Finland. The speed, big jumps and blind crests masking corners mean pace notes must be perfect and delivered with pinpoint accuracy by hard-working co-drivers.

The event marks a homecoming not just for Rovanperä, but for his entire Toyota Gazoo Racing squad. Based just outside the host city, the Japanese marque fields an additional GR Yaris car for team principal Jari-Matti Latvala.

Latvala, the most experienced driver in WRC, comes out of retirement to start his 210th WRC rally. Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda will oversee the team’s four-car entry, which also includes Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta.

“Rally Finland is always a special occasion for our team," Latvala said. “For me it’s going to be an extra-special feeling this year to get back behind the wheel on a WRC event, and my aim as a driver will be first and foremost to enjoy that experience.”

Esapekka Lappi, the last Finn to triumph on home soil in 2017, pilots an i20 N for Hyundai Motorsport. Joining him in the team is compatriot Teemu Suninen as well as Belgium’s Thierry Neuville, runner-up at the previous round.

Ott Tänak stood atop the Finland podium in 2022 and will be doing all he can to replicate that result after a time penalty dashed his chances of glory last time out. The Estonian drives a Puma for M-Sport Ford along with team-mate Pierre-Louis Loubet.

The rally gets under way in Jyväskylä on Thursday evening and finishes on Sunday afternoon after 22 speed tests covering 320.56km.

Junior BRC champions Kelly/Mohan to tackle WRC Rally Finland

Posted: August 2, 2023 8:11 AM

Reigning Motorsport UK Junior British Rally Champion Eamonn Kelly will contest this week's FIA World Rally Championship encounter, Secto Rally Finland [3-6 August] behind the wheel of a Hyundai i20 N Rally2.

Kelly, 24 from Donegal in Ireland and co-driver Conor Mohan made their British Rally Championship debut in 2021, fighting until the final stage of the final round in Ulster for the coveted Junior BRC title.

But it was William Creighton who took the spoils and runner-up Kelly made a return to the series the following year with some unfinished business. Wins at the Jim Clark, Grampian and Ceredigion saw him clinch the all-important crown with two rounds to spare and with it, a supported drive in a round of the World Rally Championship behind the wheel Hyundai’s latest Rally2 machinery, the i20 N.

A collaboration between the British Rally Championship and Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing will see Kelly join the Estonian RedGrey squad for the super-fast and legendary stages of Rally Finland, marking the Irishman’s first visit to the gravel jumps of the Jyväskylä based event.

Since Kelly claimed the Junior BRC title, he has thrown his hat into the ring of the hotly contested Junior WRC, where experience in four-wheel-drive Rally3 machinery will undoubtedly put him in good stead for the Finnish encounter.

Equally, the progressive youngster is no stranger to the Rally2 category, having taken third overall on last year’s Visit Conway Cambrian Rally behind the wheel of his own Volkswagen Polo GTi.

But now, arguably one of the biggest challenges of his career awaits and Kelly is ready to grab it with both hands.

“It is a boyhood dream to be able to go to one of the most iconic rallies in the world and compete, even more so in a Rally2 car,” says Kelly.

“I’ve been lucky to compete in the Junior WRC this year but this one is pretty special. As well as being a dream it is also very beneficial for our progression, as Finland is as tough as it gets in terms of pace. All in all it’s the ultimate package!

Kelly’s grounding in the Junior BRC has put him in good stead for the task ahead.

“The Junior BRC taught me loads in terms of getting stuck into battles and doing everything to come out on top. I was lucky to get two good years of competition and it definitely brought me up a level or two.

“Of course, winning the JBRC not only netted me this prize, but also a Billy Coleman nomination, which I was fortunate enough to win. That was the foundation for my JWRC season this year, so I must be very thankful for the JBRC in that sense.

“But I still have so much to learn at this level so I want to take away as much as possible from the weekend. The aim is to start as positive as our experience allows us, and just build on it as the weekend goes on. There’s no pressure on us and I just want to enjoy every second of the experience and hopefully come away a slightly better driver than when I went in!

"With a team like RedGrey, a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 and the challenging Finnish Roads, I’m sure there’ll be no doubt of that.”

Twenty-two stages and over 320 kilometres of special stages, spread over three days make up Rally Finland and Kelly will go toe-to-toe with some of the fastest WRC2 category drivers in the world and have the opportunity to showcase his talent on the global stage.

As well as being backed by Motorsport UK and Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing, Kelly will also be supported by Reis Motorsport Insurance, Probite and DFDS for the event. Motorsport UK British Rally Championship Manager Reece Tarren is delighted to see Kelly take up the opportunity. “The British Rally Championship has always been known for its breeding ground of future talent and to once again see a Junior British Rally Champion head onto the world stage is a testament to the series” he says. When Eamonn was fighting with William (Creighton) in 2021, it was evident that the potential was certainly there for the future, so it makes us proud to see him tackle Rally Finland, which goes well alongside his Junior WRC commitments. Our thanks go to Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing, Reis Motorsport Insurance, Probite and DFDS for their support in enabling Eamonn to have this fantastic opportunity and we wish him the very best of luck.”

Hyundai Motorsport Preview: Round 9 – Rally Finland

Posted: August 2, 2023 8:09 AM

Hyundai Motorsport is aiming to replicate its success in Estonia at Rally Finland, the ninth round of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), which is due to take place next week (August 3-6).

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team demonstrated a competitive improvement on high-speed gravel at Rally Estonia, where both Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe and Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm secured podium finishes. With Rally Finland featuring many similarities in profile, the team is confident of a seamless transition from the Baltic rally to the Scandinavian forests.

Rally Finland is one of the most exciting rallies on the WRC calendar. A country with a rich rallying heritage, Finland’s mix of wide, fast roads and technical sections combined with flat-out speeds guarantee an exhilarating event. The Jyväskylä-based rally is also famous for its long daylight hours; the sun rises before five in the morning and does not set until after ten at night.

Hyundai Motorsport’s two Finnish crews know exactly what it takes to win on home soil. Lappi/Ferm emerged victorious in the 2017 edition of the event and have finished on the podium on another two occasions. Suninen/Markkula finished first in the WRC2 category in 2021, and competed in the same class last year in the Hyundai i20 N Rally2. Both will be looking to leverage their local advantage to add to Hyundai Motorsport’s podium tally.

Musings from Mikko

Rally Finland demands precision from both driver and co-driver alike, as explained by local expert Markkula.

Markkula said: “The most challenging aspect of Rally Finland is making the pace notes and getting into the right rhythm when you read them. The roads are high speed with a lot of crests and jumps, which also make the next corners blind. Both the drivers and us co-drivers need to anticipate those conditions really well. To ensure the pace notes are perfect, the drivers need to have a precise view of the optimal racing line. Then we need to place the crests and jumps correctly in relation to the previous, current or next corner. When you succeed in that, the driving rhythm is so much better.”

He continued: “This year, we have new stages and sections in the itinerary compared to last year. Of course it means more work in terms of our preparation, but with the speed of these current Rally1 cars it also brings extra excitement to tackle new ground. This year we have stages that none of the current drivers have done before; they will be a complete unknown for everyone, and it will be interesting to see who was best prepared. Everything in Rally Finland needs to be spot on.”

Finnish Facts

The 2023 edition of Rally Finland is comprised of 22 stages with a total competitive distance of 320.56km.

The event was notoriously one of the most challenging for Hyundai Motorsport. The team claimed its first podiums at the event in 2021, when Ott Tänäk and the late Craig Breen secured second and third, and in 2022 Tänäk emerged victorious behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid. These results, combined with recent success on gravel, has the team confident it can once again challenge for the podium.

Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “We’re feeling positive as we head to Rally Finland. We saw in Estonia how far we have come on these high-speed profiles compared to last year, but we also measure the work to be done to close the gap to Toyota. The small gap between events means that we may not be able to make huge strides, but it does make it easier for us to carry our positive momentum forward. The Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid was the winning car last year and our focus is on defending that victory to the best of our ability next week. Thierry and Esapekka did a strong job in Estonia, as did Teemu as he quickly got up to speed with the car; our mission is to repeat the performance as a minimum and have all three cars in the top five, but if possible one step higher.”

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#11 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)
Belgians target a second consecutive podium finish
Neuville currently holds third place in the driver's standings

Neuville said: “Fighting for the podium in Finland will be important in terms of the championship, but it’s going to be tough. Finland is always difficult to predict; during the recce, you never really know what the actual speed will be when you arrive at certain points in your rally car, but my experience over the past years will help. Tyre choice here is very easy: only the soft tyre works, even when the temperatures are higher, because the wear isn’t that high here. You need lots of precision and protection in the car for all of the landings. The competition will be fierce. Most of them are Scandinavian drivers, so they will be hard to beat, but we are feeling confident in ourselves and the car following our podium in Estonia.”

Crew Notes: Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (#4 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)
Finns looking to take to the top step at their home rally
Podium finish would mark crews’ fifth with Hyundai Motorsport

Lappi said: “I would love to win this weekend in Finland. Regardless of the result, the atmosphere is exactly what you want to have in front of your home crowd - it’s very special. Rally Finland is an event with a lot of crests and jumps and normally quite high grip, and it is famous for the incredible speed. To prepare for the rally we have to do some endurance training, but we also need some muscle to keep our spines alive because the landings are really hard on some jumps! We had some good fights in Estonia with our competitors, and I hope we can be in the mix again – hopefully in front of them – in Finland next weekend.”

Crew Notes: Teemu Suninen/Mikko Markkula (#2 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)
Finns aiming to continue progression on home soil
Previously finished fourth overall in 2017

Suninen said: “Rally Finland is probably my favourite rally and this year it’s going to be really interesting for us. I will take the good experience from Estonia to help prepare for Rally Finland. Almost all of the corners are over crests at least, if not jumps, and it’s an amazing feeling when the car feels like it is flying every second corner. Maintaining focus will be a bit challenging because there is always something happening, so we basically have double pace notes. It’s a lot of information coming from the co-driver as we have to be really focused and precise. I was really happy with what we achieved in Estonia, which has given me confidence we can continue to progress in Finland and make a step towards my team mates.”

WRC2 Overview

Hyundai Motorsport’s WRC2 crews will return for a consecutive event in Finland.

A strong weekend for the Finnish pairing of Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen in Estonia saw the crew claim a fantastic WRC2 podium in their first experience of the Hyundai i20 N Rally2. With an impressive history in national rallies, Lindholm’s familiarity with the high speeds and blind crests of Finland’s stages should give him an advantage for the weekend.

Fabrizio Zaldivar and Marcelo Der Ohannesian finished 14th in WRC2 in Rally Estonia and now turn their attentions to improving on their position at Rally Finland. The Hyundai i20 N Rally2 crew secured seventh in the WRC2 category and fourth in the WRC2 Junior class in 2022.

Emil Lindholm said: “Rally Finland is one of the most demanding rallies of the year. In some ways it is similar to Estonia but the roads are a bit wider and faster; you need to be super committed. If you start lifting or left-foot braking you will immediately lose time. The mentality you need to have here is different to others – it is like a sprint race from beginning to end. To gain an advantage you need to be on point in every corner, because everyone is pushing to the limit, so you need to be a perfectionist with every turn. The competition in Finland is incredibly fast and we expect the fight will be just as tough as Estonia. I would love to win but a realistic target would be another podium. We aim to continue improving; we saw on Saturday in Estonia that our pace was closing in on the frontrunners, so I hope we will be able to carry on that path and get even better.”

Fabrizio Zaldivar said: “We had a positive experience at Rally Finland last year, which is a foundation I would like to build on next week. WRC2 has been incredibly competitive this season and we know our rivals can be very strong on the fast Finnish routes. Luckily our team-mates know these roads just as well as anyone and we will work closely with them to maximise the outcome for Hyundai Motorsport N. We are still chasing a podium finish and it would be nice to mount a challenge for the top three.”

Weekend at a Glance

After shakedown on Thursday morning, Rally Finland begins with the fan-favourite 3.48km Harju 1 Super Special Stage
Friday’s nine-stage itinerary opens with the 11.78km Laukaa stage and closes with the second attempt of the Harju super special stage
Saturday features fewer stages yet the longest competitive distance, totalling 160.68km across two loops of Västilä, Päijälä, Rapsula and Vekkula
Sunday will round up the rally with 54.61km and four stages, with the second run of Himos-Jämsä acting as the event’s Power Stage.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing ready to thrill on home roads

Posted: August 2, 2023 8:07 AM

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team aims to strengthen its lead of the FIA World Rally Championship when it competes on home roads at Rally Finland (August 3-6), the fastest and most spectacular event of the season.

The rally will be a homecoming not only for TGR-WRT, which is headquartered in host city Jyväskylä, but also for its reigning world champions Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen, who both hail from the central Finnish city. This will be the first time the pair have competed in a WRC round on home soil since securing their maiden world titles last October, when Rovanperä became the youngest ever drivers’ champion.

The 22-year-old now returns home fresh from a dominant victory last week on similarly fast gravel roads in neighbouring Estonia, which increased his championship lead to 55 points with five rounds remaining.

Completing the TGR-WRT manufacturer line-up for the event will be Elfyn Evans, currently second in the championship and winner of Rally Finland with the team in 2021, and Takamoto Katsuta, who has lived in Jyväskylä for several years after moving from Japan with the TGR WRC Challenge Program.

Jari-Matti Latvala will also make an exciting return to the driving seat on his home event in a fourth GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID at the invitation of TGR-WRT Chairman, Akio Toyoda, who will take on the duties of Team Principal in Finland on Latvala’s behalf.

The gravel roads in the forests around Jyväskylä are considered to be rallying’s spiritual home, renowned for their smooth and fast nature and their numerous crests and jumps. This year, the hugely popular event will kick-off with a ceremonial start on Wednesday evening prior to Thursday morning’s shakedown.

The traditional mixed-surface Harju stage in Jyväskyla opens the competitive action on Thursday evening, and will be run again at the end of Friday after two passes of four stages to the north-east: classic stages Laukaa and Lankamaa are heavily revised, while the legendary Myhinpa?a? returns for the first time since 2015 and Halttula was last visited in 1995.

As usual, Saturday is the longest day of the rally at 160.68 competitive kilometres and takes the action further south-west with the opening Va?stila? stage, last run in 2001. Pa?ija?la?, Rapsula and Vekkula complete the repeated loop, taking in some classic Rally Finland roads. Sunday has a new look, the reversed Moksi-Sahloinen paired with a new Power Stage ending at the Himos ski resort, which also hosts the podium ceremony.

Quotes:

Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)
“Rally Finland is always a special occasion for our team. For me it’s going to be an extra-special feeling this year to get back behind the wheel on a WRC event, and my aim as a driver will be first and foremost to enjoy that experience. The team’s target as always is to win and the focus for that is with our regular crews. There will be fantastic support for Kalle and Jonne as world champions and championship leaders, and the victory in Estonia gives them a good boost. I think Rally Finland could be a bigger challenge, with different grip levels and returning stages like Myhinpa?a? that Kalle hasn’t driven before. Elfyn meanwhile knows what it takes to win in Finland and we hope that he can challenge again, and also that Taka can drive with confidence on roads he usually enjoys. We can expect a close-fought rally and the team has been working hard in testing this week to give our drivers the best car possible.”

Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen
Kalle Rovanperä (Driver car 69)
“Our home rally always feels a bit different to every other rally, especially because it’s in our hometown and because it’s a home rally for the team as well. So there’s always more excitement and huge support from all the fans and I want to try my best to win it if we can. At the same time, we have to be clever with the championship in mind, not to waste the lead that we’ve built. Starting first on the road in Finland, it’s never easy to match the speed of the quick drivers starting behind us or catch up the time afterwards: last year we lost around 20 seconds on Friday and gained almost 15 seconds back over the rest of the rally. But let’s see what we can do this year.”

Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin
Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“Rally Finland is certainly a highlight of the season, especially for the local drivers but also for myself. I always enjoy the event and I’m looking forward to it. There’s no feeling quite like driving on the Finnish rally roads, and if you can be at one with your car then I think nothing can match that in terms of enjoyment behind the wheel. I wasn’t completely satisfied in Estonia but Finland is not exactly the same: there are some different characteristics and a different setup can be required. Our testing in Finland this week is giving us a good chance to prepare and make sure we start the rally with the right setup, which is crucial.”

Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston
Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)
“Rally Finland is a very special rally and one that I always look forward to. I think of it like my second home rally as I pretty much grew up as a rally driver on Finnish roads. The speeds are similar to Estonia but the feeling is totally different, because the grip from the road is usually very high. I want to improve on my speed from the last rally, and I could use my test day this week to try and understand what didn’t work for me in Estonia and to find a good car setup for the Finnish roads. I will try to enjoy the rally and push as much as I can. It’s important to get a good result for the team, for myself and my family who will be there watching too.”

M-Sport - GEARED UP FOR THE GRAVEL GRAND PRIX

Posted: August 2, 2023 8:06 AM

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Ott Tänak and Pierre-Louis Loubet are geared up for the ninth round of the FIA World Rally Championship - taking to the wheel of the Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 at this weekend’s Secto Rally Finland.

Known as the Gravel Grand Prix on account of its high-speed stages, Rally Finland and its countless full-throttle jumps requires something special – Rally Finland requires “Sisu,” a Finnish word which means stoic determination, bravery, resilience, persistence, and hardiness.

That’s what it takes to win in Finland, and the M-Sport squad have a lead driver who embodies it all – Ott Tänak, a three-time winner through the Finnish forests.

Robbed of a home victory last time out in Estonia, Tänak and co-driver Martin Järveoja are now fully focused on a comeback and spent a full day testing last week – getting back up to speed and resetting ahead of the one of the biggest weekends in rally.

Teammate Loubet has also enjoyed a full day of testing as well as entering last weekend’s HYAcenter Ralli in Tampere alongside Arnaud Dunand – building his confidence and increasing his knowledge before being reunited with regular co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul later this week.

Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster will also be back in action - contesting the WRC’s premier support series in a pair of EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta Rally2s.

Returning to the highly competitive WRC2 category, both drivers will take confidence from their recent victories - Fourmaux securing a coveted win at the famous Ypres Rally, and Munster claiming the Junior WRC victory last time out in Estonia.

With such a short break between Estonia and Finland, M-Sport’s dedicated team of engineers and technicians have also had a busy week – re-prepping the Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1s on location and extending their stay to maximise time and performance.

A total of 16 team members including technicians, engineers, fabrication specialists, parts coordinators, electrical technicians, sub-assembly technicians, engine engineers, engine technicians, hydraulics specialists and transmission technicians remained in Estonia to oversee the re-build before crossing the Gulf of Finland on Sunday – totalling for some, four weekends away from home.

Team Principal, Richard Millener, said:
“When you think of the World Rally Championship, you can’t help but think of Rally Finland. It’s smooth gravel and high-speed jumps are the highlight of the year for so many rally fans, and it really is a spectacular sight to see these cars flying through some of the sport’s most famous stages.

“Everyone was extremely disappointed after Estonia as Ott and Martin clearly had the speed to deliver a home victory. But we’ve put the disappointment behind us and will carry the positives forward to Finland – an event Ott has won on three previous occasions. He’s completed a full day of testing, and I know when he gets to Finland his mind will be fully focused on the task in hand.

“Pierre-Louis had a confidence-boosting drive in Estonia, and we’ve continued that with another full day of testing as well as a local rally in Finland last weekend. The extra seat time will only further his development, and we’re all keen to see how he progresses over the second half of the season.

“Finally, I need to praise the hard work and dedication of our engineers and technicians – some of whom will have spent four weekends away from home. With only a week between Estonia and Finland, the cars have been re-prepped on location and our team have extended their stay to ensure everything is ready for the Gravel Grand Prix.”

Ott Tänak, said:
"Finland generally is much more demanding event than Estonia. I’ve enjoyed driving there in the past and we have had some great performances in Finland before. Estonia was very tough and we couldn’t score points we needed from there unfortunately, but we still produced some good pace.

"Our focus is to find best possible feeling from Rally Finland shakedown and then we just push for the best possible result over the weekend!"

Pierre-Louis Loubet, said:
"I am happy to continue on to my third rally in three weeks, it's been a busy July! But it's given me a lot of driving time and I think we are well prepared for Finland. We drove in very hard conditions at the weekend in Tampere, and we are ready to take on Rally Finland. The target is to do a bit better than in Estonia, stay a bit closer to Ott in terms of pace and continue our progress in the car."

Adrien Fourmaux, said:
"Finland is a very fast, soft gravel rally, the stages are beautiful and its really nice to drive. It's a nice surprise for me to be here, it wasn't originally on my programme, so I'm taking it as a nice gift after a good start to the season! I really want to enjoy this rally and the experience of being in Finland again.

"Our BRC outings are really helping with our confidence as well as development of the car, which is all good for the WRC2 campaign. The goal for Finland is to take this experience and try to be in the fight for the podium, so we'll see where we can be. It'll be my first time in Finland in the Rally2, so it will be interesting and I'm really looking forward to it."

Grégoire Munster, said:
"Our victory in Estonia in JWRC will be a big help to us in Finland, the roads are quite similar and quite fast. It was good preparation to get in the rhythm for roads that we aren't so familiar with. There is a really strong competitor field in Finland, with lots of local, specialist drivers. It will be challenging but we're aiming for a good result, hopefully we can show some good speed against those guys who know these roads so well."

Entry List

Posted: August 2, 2023 8:04 AM

Finland (WRC) - 3-6 Aug 23 - ENTRY LIST

Rally Guide / Details / Event Website

Posted: March 7, 2023 11:14 AM

Rally Finland