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2006 WRC: RALLY FINLAND

• Rally 10 of 16: Aug 18-21, 2006, Rally of Finland

RALLY RESULT

FORD LEG 3 REPORT   (TOP OF PAGE)

• Flying Finn Marcus Gronholm wins Rally Finland for BP-Ford
• BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen won Rally Finland today after dominating the fastest rally of the year in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. It was the team's fourth victory of the FIA World Rally Championship season, already making this Ford's most successful campaign since 1993 with six rounds still remaining. The victory was Gronholm's sixth in seven years here and his triumph marked Finland's 50th win in the rally's 56-year history.
• Team-mate Mikko Hirvonen delighted his home town fans by bringing a similar BP Ultimate and Castrol-branded Focus RS to the finish in Jyvaskyla in third. It was the third podium of the season for Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen, and the double points haul enabled BP-Ford to close the gap on the leaders in the manufacturers' championship, leaving the title race open. Gronholm retains second in the drivers' standings and Hirvonen climbs to fourth.
• Rally Finland is regarded as the classic event in the championship. Wide, smooth gravel roads and stomach-churning jumps through the forests ensured that precision driving and bravery were more important here than anywhere else. The pace through the 21 speed tests covering 351.61km was breathtaking, 38-year-old Gronholm winning one special stage yesterday at an average speed of 128.81kph. BP-Ford's domination was such that the team won 16 stages.
• Thirty-eight-year-old Gronholm led from virtually the first kilometre of the four-day rally and was fastest on 12 stages. He began the third and final leg with a comfortable lead of over a minute. He set a fast but safe pace through the final four tests to win by 66.7sec.
• "When I was a young driver in the 1990s, I could never have believed that I would win this rally six times," he said. "I've not had a single problem all weekend and victory here is really important to me. I had a good fight with Loeb but once he hit a rock and dropped time yesterday, I had a comfortable lead and could pace myself to the finish. My target is to win every rally now. I know I can win more rallies this season. With the Focus RS, I have the car to do it, so why not?"
• Hirvonen was also in a comfortable position starting the final day, with no pressure from behind. He was fastest on all four stages to fulfil a boyhood dream of a podium in a country where rallying ranks among the top three sports.
• "It's hard to describe my feelings," he said. "I have watched this rally since I was a kid, dreaming of a podium and now I have achieved it. It has been clear since yesterday that I could take a podium and it's a great personal achievement. I was happy with my speed but I need more experience of these roads to be able to fight Marcus for victory. I finished fifth last year, third now so where will I be next year?"
• BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson said: "We have won before here but to achieve a double podium with two Finns is fantastic and we are in a great position for the rest of the season. For Mikko to finish on the podium in his home city is fantastic for him. He did a great job and has progressed so much this year. It would have been very difficult for him to beat Marcus here and he did a mature job. This rally started just four days after the finish of the previous event in Germany and this result is a reward for the thoroughly professional job done by the whole team."
• Ford TeamRS director Jost Capito said: "This rally is the fastest and most spectacular in the championship and victory here is one of the most prized possessions in the sport. This is our fourth win of the season with the new Focus RS WRC and Ford hasn't done that since 1993. It's further evidence of the success of our rally programme and reflects the strong relationship that has been built between technicians, engineers, drivers and management - the whole team."
• News from our Rivals
• Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) took no risks through the final day to be the meat in BP-Ford's sandwich in second. Henning Solberg (Peugeot) equalled his career-best result in fourth and, despite a 20 second time penalty imposed overnight, Gigi Galli (Peugeot) held off Janne Tuohino (Citroen) for fifth. The final driver points went to Jussi Valimaki (Citroen) and Jan Kopecky (Skoda). There were no major retirements today.

CITROEN LEG 3 REPORT   (TOP OF PAGE)

• After a trouble-free final leg, Sebastien Loeb, Daniel Elena and their Citroen Xsara WRC took an excellent second place on the awe- inspiring Rally Finland, just as they did last year. The reigning two- time World Champions have therefore continued a remarkable unbroken series. For the 10th time in 10 rallies this year, the Kronos Total Citroen team leaders have been on either the top or the middle step of the podium.
• "I won't pretend that I didn't want to win this rally, but that plan didn't quite work out, " said Seb, who was greeted enthusiastically by the Kronos team at final service. "While there's no shame in giving best to Marcus Gronholm on his home territory, I still feel a bit disappointed. What I will remember about this event is the fact that my Xsara has taken yet another step forward, thanks to all the hard work from Citroen Sport's development team. The car's stability has got even better, and its handling is more precise now. It really gave me a lot of confidence. I don't think we have ever been so close to Marcus here : thanks to a big attack and a trouble-free run we were able to beat him for the first time on the Ouninpohja stage. So now we know it's possible and we know as well just how much effort we need to put in to get there... "
• " As for the championships, we leave Germany and Finland having increased our lead in the drivers' series by two points, " continued the Citroen driver. "That's really good news, as we have got two more rallies out of the way now. I'd like to thank Dani, who finished between me and Marcus in Germany... "
• Marc Van Dalen, principal of Kronos Racing, was equally pleased with his team's progress in the manufacturers' championship. " Our magnificent run of results continues, " he said. " Thanks to the competitiveness and reliability of the Sebastien-Daniel-Kronos-Xsara package we maintain the same gap to our closest rivals as we did after the Acropolis Rally. The other very positive point is the speed with which Dani Sordo has adapted to these stages, which are undoubtedly amongst the most difficult of the entire championship, on his first drive here in a World Rally Car. Unfortunately, Dani wasn't able to get to the finish and neither was Xevi Pons, who was also forced into retirement. Both drivers were victims of their inexperience, falling prey to the sort of traps that often catch out even the local drivers. I know that Dani and Xevi have learnt a few lessons from their adventures, which will certainly help them a lot for the future. I still have total confidence in both of them, and I am very pleased that our entire team has showed their support so unanimously... "

SUBARU LEG 3 REPORT   (TOP OF PAGE)

• After Petter Solberg crashed out of Rally Finland on Leg two and mechanical problems dropped Chris Atkinson out of contention for a podium finish, the team’s focus for today’s final Leg was testing for the forthcoming gravel rallies. Atkinson set three top-five times on today’s four stages and finished the rally in 11th place.
• Subaru World Rally Team Sporting Director, Luis Moya: "We always knew that Rally Finland was going to be a difficult event, however both our drivers have found the challenge bigger than expected. Petter’s accident yesterday ended a realistic podium, while Chris’ problems are in no way his fault. It is good to see some very strong pace from Chris when he has had a clean run. We are also encouraged that the work over the summer break has brought improvements to the car and while there is still much more to do, we know we are going in the right direction. Now our focus is on getting the best package in place for Rally Japan and we hope to repeat our previous performance on that event."
• Chris Atkinson: "We had a good final day without any problems. We’ve been working on the development of the car and we’ve found a bit of a direction and some ideas to go on. I’m pretty happy with our performance over the weekend as we did exactly what we were supposed to and ran throughout with the top five. We look forward to Japan as I had a good result there when we scored our first podium and we’re working on getting another one."

FORD LEG 2 REPORT   (TOP OF PAGE)

• Gronholm masters Finland's jumps to strengthen rally lead
• BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen dominated today's second leg of Rally Finland to strengthen their lead. The Finns, chasing their sixth victory here in seven years, were fastest on seven of the eight speed tests in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car to return to the rally base in Jyvaskyla tonight with a lead of 67.8sec. Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen reinforced their third position in a similar Focus RS.
• The middle leg of this 10th round of the FIA World Rally Championship is regarded as the classic day of the season. Drivers reached breathtaking speeds on the smooth, wide gravel roads west of Jyvaskyla and gained incredible heights as the roller-coaster jumps launched the cars into the air. The eight special stages covered 146.49km and included two passes through the legendary Ouninpohja stages, accepted as the sport's ultimate test of skill and bravery.
• In contrast to yesterday's rain, hot sunshine brought the spectators into the forests in their tens of thousands and 38-year-old Gronholm certainly provided them with something to cheer. He was fastest on the opening stage and when closest rival Sebastien Loeb broke a wheel on the third test, Gronholm's lead leapt to 44.8sec. He was able to reduce his speed, matching his pace according to Loeb's split times which were transmitted into the Focus RS during the stages.
• Despite Gronholm's claims that he was taking things steadily, data obtained by Pi Research revealed remarkable figures. In one section of Ouninpohja, Gronholm's Focus RS was recorded as being flat out in top gear on the gravel roads for a single sustained burst of 46 seconds at an average speed of 171kph - the longest time ever logged by the BP-Ford team.
• "I was lucky because I hit the same stone as Loeb and it wasn't marked in my pace notes," admitted Gronholm. "The corner has changed from previous years. There are now logs piled there so the driving line is different. I heard a big clunk when I hit the stone, which was the size of a football, but the mousse in the tyre kept it inflated and I was OK.
• "There is still another day to go, so it's not finished yet. But it did get easier for us when Loeb lost time. I didn't go crazy after that and took the jumps quite steadily and I will do the same tomorrow. There were a few rocks in the road on the second pass through the stages and I concentrated on avoiding them. The stages have been so fast today and that's the way it is on this rally," he added.
• Hirvonen was embroiled in a battle for third with Petter Solberg, but when the Norwegian crashed on the second stage, Hirvonen's grip on a podium place was increased. He posted consistent stage times to consolidate third, 34.7sec behind Loeb and almost two minutes ahead of Henning Solberg in fourth. Twenty-six-year-old Hirvonen, who lives in Jyvaskyla, delighted his home-town fans by leaping his Focus RS 47 metres over the famous jump in Ouninpohja this morning. The landing was so hard that it cracked the windscreen!
• "When we heard Petter had crashed I really dropped my pace," he said. "But when you slow it's easy to lose rhythm and the one thing you need in Finland is a good rhythm. So I picked up the speed a little because it was easier to drive that way but I know that I need to finish and get the points for the team, so it wasn't a big attack. I tried to push Loeb but he controlled his speed well.
• "I have watched this rally from the sidelines all my life and I can't wait for tomorrow. If it ends like this it would be a dream come true to take a podium finish in my home town. But there is still a day to go so I mustn't get excited just yet. The best thing a driver can do in a WRC car is to fly sideways over those jumps. I didn't beat the 'jump record' though so I need to make sure I do that next year!" he added.
• BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson said it was 'a perfect day'. "Both cars and both drivers worked faultlessly. The pressure came off Marcus and Mikko when Loeb lost time and Solberg crashed. We were concerned about the long 40km stage this evening because it's the most difficult test of the rally but we came through with no problems and we're in a strong position," he said.
• News from our Rivals
• Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) won the second stage but his challenge suffered a huge blow on the next stage in Ouninpohja. The Frenchman hit a huge rock which threw his car onto two wheels and broke the front left wheel. He dropped more than 30sec. Petter Solberg (Subaru), fourth after the opening leg, crashed heavily just 700m after the start of the first Ouninpohja test and retired. His car is too badly damaged to restart tomorrow. His demise allowed brother Henning (Peugeot) into fourth, although the Norwegian struggled with brake problems all day. Dani Sordo (Citroen) climbed to fifth before he crashed heavily on the second pass through Ouninpohja. He will not restart tomorrow. That allowed Gigi Galli (Peugeot) to move to fifth with Janne Tuohino (Citroen) rounding off the top six. Chris Atkinson (Subaru) broke his gearbox in the opening stage and had to limp through all three morning stages, losing more than 11 minutes. Then his car's power steering broke and he dropped a further two minutes on the penultimate stage. He lies 13th.

CITROEN LEG 2 REPORT   (TOP OF PAGE)

• Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena started this morning determined to challenge for victory in their duel against Marcus Grönholm. They conceded little in Vaheri (SS10) - 1.7 seconds - and won Ouninpohja Länsi (SS11). So for the first time, they beat the five-time winner of this event on its most legendary stage, averaging more than 128 kph. "I thought I drove the stage perfectly, " said Seb afterwards. " But in the end my winning margin was just a tiny 1.3 seconds ! " Their tussle for the lead sadly came to an end on the next Ouninpohja stage.
• Sebastien Loeb: " On the inside of a corner that was marked as a cut in my notes, we hit a big stone that threw the car into the air. The wheel was too damaged for the anti-deflation mousse to work effectively, so we ended the stage with a flat tyre. Many other drivers hit that stone, including Marcus Grönholm. He's been driving that corner since 1989 and never noted it. This makes me think that year after year, we're probably cutting corners deeper and deeper. Well, we're not going to cut it any further right at that exact point. "
• Daniel Sordo: "After a right-hand corner over a crest, I landed a bit too sideways, " explained Dani . " As the car landed it snapped to the outside of the corner, where there was a rock face. " The reigning Junior World Champion has only experienced this sort of mishap once since he started rallying . " To make things even worse, I was just stuck in the ditch, unable to get going again ! " he added.

SUBARU LEG 2 REPORT   (TOP OF PAGE)

• The second Leg of Rally Finland turned out to be a frustrating one for the Subaru team, as lead driver Petter Solberg crashed out of fourth place and two mechanical problems dropped Chris Atkinson from sixth to 21st.
• The day started well for Solberg, who set the third fastest time on the opening test, but a crash on the next brought his event to a sudden and premature end. Once Atkinson’s problems dropped him out of contention for a podium finish, his focus switched to building experience and testing ahead of forthcoming gravel events. Despite this, by the end of the Leg he had climbed back up to 13th overall.
• Subaru World Rally Team Sporting Director, Luis Moya: Today we had an early wake up call with both cars effectively being removed from the competition within the first two stages. Chris was first to suffer when a gear selection problem wasn’t able to be repaired before leaving service, costing him any chance of a competitive finish. Petter then suffered a dramatic accident just as he looked set to challenge for a podium position. Despite this, we know good progress has been made with the car development and, although Chris cannot achieve the result he deserved, tomorrow he will be able to test and learn from different setups.'
• Petter Solberg: We were coming into a long left-hand corner, went over a crest with a little under-steer and then hit a rock face on the right-hand side. I thought it would be alright, but the car spun around and we ended up rolling. Phil and I are both okay, but the car was quite badly damaged. Despite this, I’m still feeling positive about everything we have done so far and know we have taken something good from this weekend. We have found some improvements and we tried something in the first stage today which was quite positive too, however we still need to work on the consistency. We have a test coming up for Rally Japan now and we have identified some more areas to work on. I’ve got a good feeling about the next rally and I’m definitely not giving up at all.'
• Chris Atkinson: Today we had a couple of technical problems that dropped us down the order. When we had a clear run we were encouraged to be competitive on stages we had never driven at speed before, and managed to move up the order. For tomorrow the focus is on testing and working with the team to continue to develop the car.'
• News from Pirelli
• Mario Isola, Pirelli Competizioni Rally Manager
• Totally different weather conditions today in Finland but we are quite happy with the performance of the tyres, and the consistency during the 41 kms of today's very long stage. In the early morning the stages were damp and we decided to use a medium/soft PZERO KP, while in the afternoon it was very hot and completely dry, but also in this conditions our PZERO medium/hard compound were at the top level. Unfortunately the two Subarus were slowed by an accident and mechanical problems but the feeling of the drivers was good. In Group N we are leading and the fight between Anton Alen and Patrik Flodin is very exciting.'
• Tomorrow's Leg
• The third and final Leg of Rally Finland starts from Jyväskylä at 0830hrs. Including four more timed tests and 60 competitive kilometres, Sunday’s route takes crews to two more classic gravel stages to the west of Rally HQ, which are repeated in the afternoon.

CITROEN LEG 1 REPORT  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Having won in Germany a week ago, Sébastien Loeb, Daniel Elena and their Xsara WRC face a rematch against Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen in Finland. With the opening day of competition completed, the duel is already shaping up to be a classic one.
• Sebastien Loeb: " It wasn't raining to start with, but even when we saw some drops on the windscreen I didn't lift off. I was braking as late as I would in the dry, skidding through the ruts, and aquaplaning all over the place. We had a few big moments but I'm not unhappy with the end result. We're about a dozen seconds off Marcus so there is still everything to play for. Tomorrow I'll be pushing hard again!"
• Daniel Sordo: "I'm having a lot of fun on the high-speed sections : I'm just driving at my own pace and the times are not too bad. I'm simply hoping that we will have a bit more stable weather for the rest of the rally. Driving here is difficult enough as it is!"

FORD LEG 1 REPORT  (TOP OF PAGE)

• BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen led Rally Finland after winning five speed tests during today's first leg. The Finns, chasing their sixth victory here in seven years, powered their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car into the lead during a rain-soaked morning and returned to the rally base in Jyväskylä this evening with a 12.0sec advantage. Team-mates and fellow countrymen Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen lie third in a similar Focus RS, 43.5sec behind their colleagues.
• Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: "We tested in the dry here last month but the set-up worked well in the rain also. The roads were extremely wet in places and dry in others and although it was difficult to drive in such changeable weather, we had constant grip. The rain was so heavy in one stage this afternoon that the windscreen wipers would not go fast enough and I just couldn't see."
• Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "Third is a good position tonight, although first or second would be even better!. At times this afternoon I was over-driving at every corner and as a result the car was sliding too much. It's quicker to back-off before the corner and take the bend in a straighter line. There were so many corners that I got wrong and I needed a calmer pace.

SUBARU LEG 1 REPORT  (TOP OF PAGE)

• After an encouraging first day of Rally Finland for the Subaru team, Petter Solberg holds fourth place overall, but remains less than ten seconds behind third place with two days of competition still to go. Highlighting the performance improvements already made to the Subaru Impreza WRC2006, Solberg's car ran faultlessly throughout the Leg and enabled him to set a string of top three times. Chris Atkinson also had a positive day and was holding fifth place overall before an overheating problem on the last loop of stages dropped him to sixth.
• Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "Today has mainly been very good. I feel the car has improved very much particularly when jumping and in the rougher parts of the stages. We've been very unlucky with the weather and then losing time stuck behind Manfred Stohl. For tomorrow we're going to keep pushing as we want to get up onto the podium."
• Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "I'm pretty satisfied with how we drove today. From the start we targeted a top six position and despite the tricky conditions and the time we lost on the last stages we are there. I'm sure that we can fix the overheating and tomorrow we look forward to getting back out there and setting more good times."
• ATKINSON REPORT
• Atkinson sits in sixth despite setback
• Subaru rally driver, Chris Atkinson, has produced a solid start at Rally Finland and sits in sixth position despite experiencing overheating problems on the final stages of the opening day which saw him concede time to his rivals.
• Markus Gronholm leads the way by 12 seconds from Sebastien Loeb. Mikko Hirvonen is third, 43.5 seconds off the lead, with Atkinson’s fellow Subaru World Rally Team driver, Petter Solberg, in fourth place, 9.4 seconds back.
• Henning Solberg is fifth, 29.9 seconds ahead of Atkinson.
• After Thursday evening’s Superspecial at Killeri, crews tackled seven classic gravel stages in the forests close to Jyvaskyla before rounding off the Leg with a second visit to Killeri. Rain fell periodically throughout the day and was especially heavy in the morning.
• Atkinson and co-driver Glenn Macneall started the day strongly and their Subaru Impreza WRC2006 was in fifth place outright at the end of SS5, after the first loop of four forest stages.
• “It has been a lot more slippery than we expected but everything has gone well,” Atkinson said at the first service break.
• “We’re in fifth place and producing consistently competitive times, so we’re happy with that.”
• But on SS7 the Queenslander dropped 56 seconds to the leaders when his car’s engine started to give him problems. Mud and gravel picked up in a very rutted section had coated his car’s radiator and the engine’s control systems automatically cut power to keep the temperature under control.
• “We had a good start to the day, set some good times and were in a good position, but we lost time over the final stages,” Atkinson said.“I’m pretty satisfied with how we drove today. From the start we targeted a top six position and despite the tricky conditions and the time we lost on the last stages we are there.”
• “I’m sure that we can fix the overheating and tomorrow we look forward to getting back out there and setting more good times.”
• Subaru World Rally Team Sporting Director, Luis Moya, was again pleased with the young Australian’s performance.
• “Chris has driven very well and was unfortunate to drop time with an intermittent overheating problem caused by a partially blocked radiator. We have proven that our new development direction is correct, but clearly have to do more to be in a position to push for wins.”
• Leg two starts from Jyvaskyla at 0600hrs. Featuring eight more timed tests and 144 competitive kilometres, Saturday’s Leg takes crews to more classic gravel stages including the two Ouninpohja sections.

RALLY PREVIEW

CITROEN (KRONOS) RALLY PREVIEW  (TOP OF PAGE)

• The three Xsaras have been offloaded from the ferry on Tuesday morning at around 13.30 and were sent to the Kronos workshop's in Jyväskylä. One hour later all the material was unloaded and the fifteen mechanics ready to start working.
• Sebastien Loeb: "Finland rally was always the most difficult for me to win. It's very specific, very fast places, jumps, crests, very difficult. Last year I was in a good rhythm for the first time here, not enough to win, but not so far away. I am happy with the settings on the car, so I will do my best. For me it would be the rally I would like to win, so it would be a great moment like it was when I won Sweden. Okay, we'll see. I will try to go faster."

FORD RALLY PREVIEW  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Ford's flying Finns will carry the hopes of their home nation when they aim to continue their country's remarkable record on the Rally Finland (17 - 20 August). Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen and team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen will delight their legions of fans if either of their Ford Focus RS World Rally Cars wins this 10th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, a triumph that would mark Finland's 50th victory in the event's 56-year history.
• Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: "I don't really need to tell anyone that Finland is one of my favourite rallies, I think everyone knows that. Rallying is so huge in my country and Rally Finland is such a massive event that nothing can take away the enjoyment of winning here. I will never get fed up with that. I want to experience that again and after a good test last month I think the Ford Focus can win.
• Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "I just can't wait for the start. The rally is so fast and the roads are such great fun to drive. The jumps are massive and it's a great feeling to be behind the wheel of a car that is flying sideways through the air at top speed. I have my targets for the weekend but I'm keeping those to myself. All I will say is that it's a shame for me that Marcus will be in the same car because in Finland he is the man to beat.

ATKINSON SUBARU RALLY PREVIEW

• Atkinson targets best result in Finnish classic
• Straight from finishing in the points with his eighth placing at Rallye Deutschland last Sunday, Subaru rally driver Chris Atkinson takes on Rally Finland this weekend, looking for a top five finish.
• It's Atkinson’s third outing in the classic Finland round of the World Rally Championship, and the Queenslander is looking to producing his best result of the season.
• "Rally Finland is an event I really enjoy,” Atkinson said. “It’s good fun to drive, it’s so fast and the jumps are incredible.”
• “The testing we’ve done over the summer gave us some valuable information and everything suggests we’ve made a big step forward with the car.”
• “I’m now looking forward to putting it into action on gravel. I’d like to be as competitive as the top five guys; I don’t think a podium finish is impossible."
• Subaru World Rally Sporting Director, Luis Moya, agrees that Atkinson is set for a top result.
• “I see no reason why Chris should not get a podium in this rally; he’s been very quick on the fast stages this year and knows the event well," Moya said.
  Atkinson, and co-driver Glenn Macneall, will compete as one of the two official Subaru World Rally Team cars in the event. The other Impreza WRC2006 will be driven by Petter Solberg (co-driven by Phil Mills).
• Solberg has driven the rally seven times before. Last year the Norwegian had a heavy landing after a jump on the first day of competition and extensively damaged the rear of his Impreza WRC2005. Subaru technicians repaired the car in the final 45-minute service of the day and Petter went on to finish fourth.
• Atkinson competed in Rally Finland for the first time in 2004 when he drove a privately-entered Group N Impreza. The Australian made his Finland WRC debut last year and set some highly competitive times before retiring on SS19 with a mechanical problem.
• Formerly known as ‘The Rally of the Thousand Lakes’, Rally Finland is regarded as one of the classics of the WRC calendar and features smooth gravel stages that pass through stunning forest scenery and around the lakes that gave the rally its original name.
• With awe-inspiring stages and a record of producing some of the best drivers in the WRC, Finland is regarded as the spiritual home of rallying and it is estimated that a fifth of the entire population will turn out to watch their round of the Championship.
• Often referred to as the ‘Finnish Grand Prix’, Rally Finland is unquestionably the fastest of the season.
• Smooth, wide, undulating gravel stages enable drivers to reach breath-taking speeds of more than 200kph, while the numerous ‘yumps’, the famous Finnish jumps that feature throughout the route, demand the ultimate in confidence and precision driving. Technically, the event is a difficult one. Jumps can launch a car 50 metres through the air and lead directly into blind crests and sixth gear corners. With average speeds of around 120kph, the event demands unwavering commitment and bravery.
• Finland is paired with Germany in this year’s WRC calendar, and with most cars not arriving from Rallye Deutschland until Tuesday morning, teams face a race against the clock to transform them from asphalt to gravel specification.
• A Superspecial at the Killeri horse-trotting track opens the rally on Thursday 17 August, with the first of 19 more ‘proper’ stages following on Friday morning.
• The rally comprises 351.61 competitive kilometres and is due to finish at 1454hrs (2354 AEST) on Sunday in the host town of Jyvaskyla.
  

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