Citroën with three cars in Finland

As in Sweden, the crews entered are Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle, Craig Breen / Scott Martin and Khalid Al Qassimi / Chris Patterson. Everyone is impatient to return to the ultra-fast course and the supercharged atmosphere of this emblematic event of the World Championship!

Still known across the planet as Rally of the 1000 Lakes, the Rally of Finland is one of the most famous rounds of the WRC. The legend was built during the era of Group B, which took off on the famous jumps spewing immense flames from the exhausts! Thirty years later, the magic is still working and there are several hundred thousand massing along the roadsides to encourage the best drivers in the world.

With a course covered at an average speed of more than 120 km/h, the Rally Finland does not tolerate approximations. Most turns and jumps are negotiated blind and the notes must be extremely precise. Even after a perfect special, the gaps remain tiny and this race is like a war of nerves for three days...

Winners of the Rally Portugal, Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle will undoubtedly be closely observed. Absent in Sardinia and Poland, the duo will make their return with measured ambitions. Their goal will be, again and again, to gain experience and sharpen their speed while keeping the 2017 season in their sights. During his eight participations in the Rally Finland, Kris has a third place (2014) as his best result.

Lined up in Sweden (8th) and Poland (7th), Craig Breen and Scott Martin will continue their program with Abu Dhabi Total WRT. This time, they will be able to count on the still fresh experience of a rally with a relatively similar profile. With six participations in Finland already, Craig will also be able to draw on his knowledge of the field.

Just like Kris Meeke, Khalid Al Qassimi returns to the wheel after a break since arriving from Portugal. Assisted by Chris Patterson, the Abu Dhabi driver also has six participations in Finland, with a 9th place (2009) for best result.

They said :

Kris Meeke (#7): “ Finland is a unique rally in a WRC season. I have excellent memories, such as the start of my collaboration with Citroën Racing in 2013 and the podium the following year. Every year, it is the pleasure of driving on the most beautiful roads in the world that predominates. As part of my partial program, this is an event that I absolutely wanted to compete in. It’s a rally that is regularly played down to tenths of a second and this will allow me to sharpen my speed. Even though I won in Portugal, I don't have any particular objective. I will do my best to learn, understand and have fun behind the wheel. The weather forecast predicts rain every day near Jyväskylä, this will undoubtedly have an influence on everyone's performance depending on the starting orders. But again, that doesn’t matter to me because I’m not aiming for anything in particular this season. I sense a big challenge from the reconnaissance, with many new special stages, including Ouninpohja which we will compete in the opposite direction to what we knew. We will have to forget the usual points of reference and consider this sector as completely new. »

Craig Breen (#8): “It’s obvious that I feel much better prepared for this event than during my first two rallies with Abu Dhabi Total WRT! I will be able to draw on the experience gained a month ago and my objective will be to start at the level I was at at the end of the Polish Rally. For this rally to be a success, I will have to race consistently, without making any mistakes and being able to attack a little harder when I feel capable. I know the Rally Finland well, having already competed in it six times. Two years ago, I was behind the wheel of a WRC but it was in a very different context, with my father working on the car and my mother providing catering! This family effort has allowed me to get here and I intend to seize this new opportunity. »

Khalid Al Qassimi (#24): “I can’t wait to get back to Finland, it’s a very special event for the WRC. The course is known for its speed and the bumps negotiated at high speed. We will be able to rely on last year's experience, but more than half of the stages are new and we will have to be concentrated from the reconnaissance to take good notes. It will be important to get good feelings back, especially after this long break from Portugal. It takes a lot of commitment on this rally and we will work to gradually get the hang of the car. I hope we have fun and I wish Kris and Craig flying the colors of Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team. »

To be continued :

Thursday July 28: shakedown in Ruuhimäki from 8:00 a.m., then departure from Jyväskylä at 18:42 p.m. Park closed at 19:25 p.m. after a 2,31 km special.
Friday July 29: departure from Jyväskylä at 6:05 a.m. Arrival in Jyväskylä from 20:43 p.m. after 11 stages totaling 146,85 km.
Saturday July 30: departure from Jyväskylä at 6:30 a.m. Arrival in Jyväskylä from 20:17 p.m. after 8 special stages totaling 150,48 km.
Sunday July 31: departure from Jyväskylä at 7:00 a.m. Final arrival in Jyväskylä at 15:00 p.m. after 4 stages totaling 33,96 km.