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Relive the first day of the Rally Finland with live commentary

Relive the first day of the Rally Finland, ninth round of the 2024 WRC season, live with commentary on AUTOhebdo.

Published on 02/08/2024 à 14:00

Dorian Grangier

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Relive the first day of the Rally Finland with live commentary

© Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT

The fight for the title of world rally champion resumes this week on the emblematic roads of Rally from Finland. Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak and Elfyn Evans are the three main players in the 2024 title race in WRC.

Based around the town of Jyväskylä, the Rally of Finland is the fastest event on the calendar and a jewel in the crown of WRC with its smooth gravel roads, breathtaking jumps, blind turns that wind through forests and around lakes.

Friday August 2 (115,55 km)
7:13 – SS2: Laukaa 1 – 17,96 km – Elfyn Evans
8:20 – SS3: Saarikas 1 – 15,93 km – Kalle Rovanpera
9:35 – SS4: Myhinpää 1 – 15,51 km – Elfyn Evans
11:05 – SS5: Ruuhimäki 1 – 7,76 km – Kalle Rovanpera
14:10 – SS6: Laukaa 2 – 17,96 km – Kalle Rovanpera
15:17 – SS7: Saarikas 2 – 15,93 km – Kalle Rovanpera
16:32 – SS8: Myhinpää 2 – 15,51 km – Thierry Neuville
18:05 – SS9: Ruuhimäki 2 – 7,76 km – Sami Pajari
19:05 – SS10: Harju 2 – 2,01 km – Sébastien Ogier

> You can follow the live evolution of the ranking via the official WRC Live Timing, available here.


Rally Finland
Relive the first day live with commentary

19h33 – 👋 Thank you all for following us throughout this day of rallying and see you tomorrow, at 8:05 a.m., for the start of SS11 (Västilä 1 – 18,94 km). Good evening to you !

Rovanperä leads Toyota hat-trick in Finland, Pajari impresses at home

19h31 – 🏁 Sami Pajari concludes this historic day for him with the 6th time, 3″0 behind Sébastien Ogier ! Kalle Rovanperä is therefore the leader of the Rally Finland this Friday evening, ahead of his two teammates at Toyota ! 

ES10 – Ranking

General classification after SS10

19h27 – Grégoire Munster was never in the game today and that is reflected again in this Super Special: the Belgian finished far away, 4″2 behind Sébastien Ogier. Difficult day for the pilot M-Sport.

19h23 - Kalle Rovanperä finished 0″9 behind Sébastien Ogier on this 10th special, but remained in the lead of his national rally on the evening of the first day with 8 seconds ahead of Elfyn Evans!

19h22 – 💬 Sébastien Ogier: “Tomorrow will be a great day. I can not wait to be there. Incredible stages, let's hope the weather doesn't drive them crazy. I lost a little ground on Kalle, but that was to be expected given the position on the road. In the end, it doesn't matter, I'm happy to fight for the podium. »

19h20 – 🇫🇷 Adrien fourmaux fails 0″8 behind his compatriot’s time at the finish. A two-speed day for the Frenchman: a complicated morning, the fault of a lack of testing in Finland before the rally, and a more convincing afternoon with his Ford Puma. The Northerner finished this first day in 5th place, but lost out in the fight for the podium.

19h15 – 🇫🇷⏱️ Sébastien Ogier narrowly beats Thierry Neuville! The Frenchman is two tenths faster with a time of 1'36″7. The eight-time world champion concluded the day just 0″ behind Elfyn Evans in the match for 6nd place.

19h10 – Elfyn Evans concedes 0″4 to Thierry Neuville when crossing the line on this 10th special.

19h07 – 🔎 At 22 years, 8 months and one day, Sami Pajari became the 10th youngest driver to win a WRC stage victory!

19h06 – ⏱️ On this Super Special, already used yesterday for SS1, Thierry Neuville set a first time in 1'36″9.

19h05 – 🟢 Let's go for the 10th special stage of this Rally of Finland, the last of the day, with the departure of Thierry Neuville!

18h36 - Meet at 19:05 p.m. for the start of SS10 (Harju 2 – 3,48 km).

18h34 – 🏁 Aboard his all-white Toyota Yaris, young Sami Pajari concludes this SS9… with the best time! First scratch time of his career in the premier category! Amazing ! He is ahead of Sébastien Ogier by five tenths!

ES9 – Ranking

General ranking after ES9

18h30 – Grégoire Munster finishes this 9th special 8 seconds behind Sébastien Ogier’s time.

18h26 - A tenth ! Kalle Rovanperä fails only a tenth behind Sébastien Ogier despite a strong end to the special! He gained 1″8 from Elfyn Evans on this special, bringing his lead to 8″3 overall.

18h22 – 🇫🇷 Adrien Fourmaux ends this 9th special with a huge jump and a time 2″5 slower than his compatriot.

© Nikos Katikis / DPPI

18h20 – 💬 Sébastien Ogier:  “Finally a time!” The conditions are nicer now, there is more grip and more fun to drive. Everyone is looking forward to tomorrow, the best stage of the rally. Ouninpohja, Päijälä – it’s always great! »

18h18 – 🇫🇷 New best time for Sébastien Ogier in 3'47″2, which is 1″5 faster than Thierry Neuville. The Frenchman is 1″2 closer to his teammate for 2nd place overall.

18h16 – 🔎 In Rally2, Jari-Matti Latvala has just set the best time of SS8! Incredible from the Finn with 209 WRC starts! He is currently in 2nd place in the category, just behind Oliver Solberg!

18h14 – While he was on par with Thierry Neuville on the first two intermediates, Elfyn Evans finally failed 0″4 behind the Belgian when crossing the line.

18h10 – ⏱️ First reference time for Thierry Neuville in 3'48″7, it's already much faster than this morning! “I did a good stage, we will see the times very soon. Difficult to predict, it changes all the time and so does the weather. Let's see, there's still one more special. Apart from the mistake [in SS3], we did our best today. »

18h08 – ☀️ Rare thing today in Finland: the weather is beautiful, with radiant sunshine for the end of the day!

18h06 – 🔎 This morning, during the first pass in this special, Kalle Rovanperä set the best time in 3'52″8.

18h05 – 🟢 After a short Olympic break and legend Teddy Riner's gold medal in judo, we get over our emotions and return to the WRC with the 9th special stage of the Rally Finland! Thierry Neuville has just started.

17h09 – 🔎 Meet at 18:05 p.m. for the start of SS9 (Ruuhimäki 2 – 7,76 km).

17h08 – 🏁 Sami Pajari is the last Rally1 driver to cross the line with the 7th time, 9″5 behind Thiery Neuville. The Belgian brightens the dark sky above the stable Hyundai today by winning his first scratch of the day. Kalle Rovanperä is still in the lead but her lead has eroded a little against Elfyn Evans.

ES8 – Ranking

General ranking after ES8

17h04 – Grégoire Munster completes this 8th special 13″3 behind Thierry Neuville’s reference.

17h00 – 💬 Kalle Rovanperä: “I don't know if the rain makes a big difference, I did a very good stage and I was also attacking. The conditions were not optimal. It was a very good stage, but the weather is not very good. »

© Nikos Katikis / DPPI

16h55 - And surprise: Kalle Rovanperä loses time on his rivals! The Finn sets the 4th provisional time, 3″7 behind Thierry Neuville and 1″3 on Elfyn Evans. Simple management or difficult special? In any case, his lead drops to 6″5 ahead of the Welshman.

16h53 – 💬 Sébastien Ogier: “You have no choice but to toe your line and pray for the best. It was a good stage, it's fun. We have lost a little ground but we are doing what we can. The commitment must be 100% and my two years of absence here makes things more difficult. In Finland there are not many guys who can follow Kalle [Rovanperä]'s 100%. »

16h51 – 🇫🇷 Adrien Fourmaux is getting closer to the pace of the best: the Frenchman finishes this 8th special 3″9 behind Thierry Neuville.

16h47 – 🇫🇷 Slower than Neuville, but faster than Evans: Sébastien Ogier takes the 2nd provisional time, 1″3 from the reference set by the Belgian.

16h43 – For the first time in the afternoon, Elfyn Evans is slower than Thierry Neuville: the Welshman concedes 2″4 to the Belgian. A golden opportunity for Kalle Rovanperä to widen the gap?

16h40 – ⏱️ 7'00″0 exactly: that's the time achieved by Thierry Neuville on this SS8!

16h36 – 🔎 This morning, Elfyn Evans set the best time during the first pass on this special in 6’54″4.

16h34 – 💦 Lots of puddles on the course, it rained a lot between the two passages! Thierry Neuville navigates between the puddles!

16h32 – 🟢 SS8 is launched with the departure of Thierry Neuville!

16h30 – 🔎 Before the restart, here is the general classification for Rally2. Remember that Yohan Rossel is not eligible for WRC2 points in Finland.

15h54 – 🔎 Meet at 16:32 p.m. for the start of SS8 (Myhinpää 2 – 15,51 km).

15h53 – 🏁 Sami Pajari concludes the Rally1 ball with the 5th time, 4″5 behind Kalle Rovanperä! The rally leader increases his lead by signing a 4th scratch this Friday! He now has a 7″8 lead over Elfyn Evans.

ES7 – Ranking

General ranking after ES7

15h49 – Better for Grégoire Munster: the Belgian fails 10 seconds from the benchmark, but only 1″4 behind his teammate at the finish of this 7th special.

15h46 – 💬 Kalle Rovanperä: “Now, without the rain, maybe the road condition would have been better for us, but it's hard to say because it's still a big problem for us. We try to keep the pace, but we don't take any risks. »

15h41 – ⏱️ We can't stop it anymore! Kalle Rovanperä continues and sets the best time of SS7 in 7'39″3! This is 3″1 better than Elfyn Evans, who he relegates to 7″8 overall!

Rovanperä Rally Finland WRC ES7

© Nikos Katikis / DPPI

15h37 – 🇫🇷 As the rain begins to intensify, Adrien Fourmaux crosses the finish line 5″5 behind the benchmark set by Elfyn Evans.

15h35 – 💬 Sébastien Ogier: “The conditions are still tricky, there are a lot of places where we lack grip. It's a good pace for us, but I don't feel like I can push any harder at the moment. »

15h33 – 🇫🇷 Like this morning, Sébastien Ogier seems slightly behind his two teammates at Toyota. The Frenchman concedes another 1″3 to Elfyn Evans on this 7th special. However, he remains in contact with the Welshman overall, only 4″2 behind.

15h29 – ⏱️ Elfyn Evans is once again faster than Thierry Neuville: with a time of 7'42″4, the Welshman beats the Belgian by 1″2.

15h27 – 💬 Thierry Neuville: “I did a clean stage, but the conditions are not good for us, honestly. It's quite humid, there is a little water, some muddy places. There is no line (…), that’s not what I need. Right now we're not thinking about the podium, we're thinking about surviving and keeping an eye on Elfyn [Evans]. »

15h25 – ⏱️ Thierry Neuville is logically the first to arrive and therefore to set a time of 7'43″6, which is once again slower than this morning for the Belgian.

15h21 – 📺 While waiting for the arrival of the first Rally1, will you take a minute of on-board camera with Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria?

15h19 – 🔎 This morning, it was Kalle Rovanperä who set the best time during the first pass on this special in 7'36″4.

15h17 – 🟢  After a short break, the start of SS7 has just been given with the launch of Thierry Neuville!

14h49 – 🔎 Meet at 15:17 p.m. for the start of SS7 (Saarikas 2 – 15,93 km)!

14h47 – 🏁 With a Toyota repaired and equipped with its rear wing, Sami Pajari can finally shine… and he does! The Finn sets a very good time on this 6th special and sets the 2nd time with only 2″ behind Kalle Rovanperä! Toyota quadruple on this SS6, with Rovanperä widening the gap at the head of the Rally of Finland ahead of Evans!

ES6 – Ranking

General ranking after ES6

14h43 – Unlike his teammate, Grégoire Munster is still struggling to find rhythm: he finishes 13″6 behind Kalle Rovanperä’s best time.

14h39 – ❌  In his radio, Esapekka Lappi tells his team that he must retire, the damage is significant on the Hyundai! What a disappointment for the Finn at home, he who was in 4th place at the start of SS6! There is only one Hyundai left on the track this Friday…

14h36 – ⚠️ Esapekka Lappi hit a tree! The Finn was trapped in the bumpy section in the middle of the forest and crashed into a tree, unable to regain control of his mount. The Hyundai is badly damaged, he has to stop on the side of the road!

14h34 – ⏱️ Kalle Rovanperä attacks this afternoon with a big time on this 6th special! The Finn clocked 8'26″9 and took a 4″7 lead over Elfyn Evans in the general standings!

Rovanperä Rally Finland WRC ES6

© Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT

14h31 – 🇫🇷 There’s something better for Adrien Fourmaux this afternoon! The Frenchman seems to have found the right settings and finished just 1″6 behind Elfyn Evans at the finish of this SS6.

14h27 – 🇫🇷 Although off to a good start at the start of the special, Sébastien Ogier made a few small errors which cost him the scratch. The Frenchman fails only a tenth of Elfyn Evans' time! “There is a m**** place in the forest with ruts 40 cm deep. I hate this stretch! » he curses upon arrival.

14h23 – ☁️ The sky is still very threatening above the region where the rally is taking place, with a few drops of rain on the Rally1 windshields…

14h22 – ⏱️ It was immediately beaten by Elfyn Evans who improved to 8'31″4, 5″6 better than Thierry Neuville.

14h18 – ⏱️ Thierry Neuville is not faster than the best time this morning: he finishes with a time of 8'37″0.

14h15 – 📺 Rally Finland leader Kalle Rovanperä in action at home. The double world champion, who is wearing a special livery this weekend, is looking for a first victory on home soil.

14h12 – 🔎 Compared to this morning, the track is obviously dirtier, but also drier. The reference time established on the first pass? 8'35'4, directed by Elfyn Evans.

14h10 – 🟢 We returned to Finland for the second passage of the day! Thierry Neuville gets the ball rolling!

14h09 – 🔎 In terms of tire choices, not too much suspense or variety: all Rally1 drivers start with five soft tires, therefore with only a spare wheel.

14h07 – 🔎 Here is the general classification of this Rally of Finland at the start of this 6th special : Kalle Rovanperä leads the Rally1s and Oliver Solberg dominates the Rally2 after the first loop this morning.

14h05 – ❌ Also retirement for Takamoto Katsuta following his error in SS5. The Japanese had broken his right rear suspension, with a completely bent wheel. He was unable to join the audience.

14h03 – ❌ Hyundai has just sent us more information on the health of Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja : both teammates are fine, but the Estonian co-driver must remain under observation in hospital. The Korean team decided not to restart them on Saturday and Sunday, so it is a definitive retirement for Ott Tänak.

Hyundai provides news from Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja

14h00 – We are back for the second loop of the day! The start of SS6 is approaching, it will be given at 14:10 p.m.!

12h06 – 👋 Meet at 14:10 p.m. for the start of SS6 (Laukaa 2 – 17,96 km)!

12h05 – 🏁 Sami Pajari ends his ordeal morning with a delay of 11″5 on this 5th special. The young Finn will be able to benefit from the assistance to repair his Toyota. Kalle Rovanperä therefore takes her second scratch and regains the lead of the Rally Finland by two tenths ahead of Elfyn Evans!

ES5 – Ranking

General ranking after ES5

12h01 – Grégoire Munster still can't find the key this Friday morning and finishes this short special 10 seconds behind the reference, that's more than a second lost per kilometer.

11h57 – Esapekka Lappi crossed the finish line of SS5 3″6 behind Kalle Rovanperä.

11h54 – ⚠️🛠️ Rear right wheel completely bent, Takamoto Katsuta finished 1'34″9 behind following his error. In his misfortune, the Japanese can consider himself lucky to have encountered this mishap just before returning to service!

11h49 – ⚠️ Problem for Katsuta! The Japanese made a mistake and hit a tree on the right rear! His suspension seems broken, the Toyota driver is driving slowly!

11h46 – ⏱️ Kalle Rovanperä sets the provisional best time in 3'52″8... and this allows him to regain the lead of the Rally Finland by two tenths ahead of Elfyn Evans!

11h43 – 🇫🇷 2″6 late for Adrien Fourmaux at the finish of this 5th special. The Northerner still seems upset by the settings on his Ford Puma.

11h40 – 🇫🇷 It will not be the Frenchman who will finish in the lead at the end of this first loop: Sébastien Ogier finishes 1″2 behind Thierry Neuville and 0″4 behind Elfyn Evans. The eight-time world champion even caused a lot of heat during the special with an exit...

11h37 – Elfyn Evans crossed the line with a slight delay of 0″8 on Thierry Neuville. Will the Welshman retain the lead of the rally at the end of this first loop? Response after the passages from Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä!

11h36 – 🔎 This Ruuhimäki special, renowned for its big jumps, ends with a big bump and therefore, a very impressive jump for the Rally1s!

11h34 – ⏱️ The Belgian is already at the finish of this very short seven-kilometer special, with a first time of 3'53″4. 

11h29 – 🟢  Thierry Neuville sets off, let's go for SS5 of the Rally Finland!

11h18 – 🔎 Here is the general classification of Rally2 after the passage of the main favorites in SS4.

11h02 – ⚠️ The time difference following Ott Tänak's accident also impacts SS5, which will finally start at 11:29 a.m.

10h57 – 🔎 The commissioners have just revealed the fixed time granted to the Rally2 drivers who were unable to compete in SS3 earlier: they are credited with a time of 8'20″8, or 18″4 more than Oliver Solberg's best time. The race direction indicates, however, that this time could be subject to change this afternoon, when the field makes its second pass on this same special.

10h39 – 🔎 Meet at 11:05 a.m. for the start of SS5 (Ruuhimäki 1 – 7,76 km)!

10h38 – 🏁 Sami Pajari, still handicapped by aerodynamic damage to his Toyota, finished 31″4 behind Elfyn Evans. The Welshman, helped by the rain, signed his second scratch this Friday morning and regained the lead of the Rally Finland ahead of Kalle Rovanperä!

ES4 – Ranking

General ranking after ES4

10h34 – It was predictable, the rain complicated the task for Grégoire Munster, who finished with a significant delay of 21″3 on the reference.

10h30 – Esapekka Lappi is also trapped by the rain: ahead in the 2nd intermediate, the Finn lost precious seconds in the deluge in the middle of the special. He finished 2″3 behind Elfyn Evans.

10h26 – The rain increases in intensity, and it shows in the times: Takamoto Katsuta loses 3″4 to Elfyn Evans at the finish of SS4 even though he was in good time in the first intermediates.

10h22 – ⚠️ Not helped by the rain, Kalle Rovanperä concedes 2″0 to Elfyn Evans… and allows the Welshman to regain the lead of the Rally Finland!

10h20 – 🌧️ It's starting to rain again and it could trap those who haven't yet finished this 4th special!

10h18 – 🇫🇷 The track is drying and it shows for Adrien Fourmaux! Struggling in the rain, the Frenchman began to find rhythm, only losing 4″4 on the benchmark set by Elfyn Evans on this SS4. However, the M-Sport driver remained frustrated at the finish: “It's a disaster, we didn't have a test before this rally and since the shakedown it's been a disaster. I changed everything I could in the back of the car. I'm doing my best, I'm happy with this special which gave me more confidence. »

10h14 – 🇫🇷 The gaps are tight on this 4th special: Sébastien Ogier fails 1″2 behind his teammate’s time at the finish.

10h12 – 💬 Thierry Neuville after SS4: “Slightly [dryer], definitely more grip, it's a lot harder to engage. I'm really struggling with the car in some places, it's not where I want us to be. I don't think there is a disadvantage, but I would like to have one or two cars in front to help me break the ground, because I lose a lot of speed sometimes. »

10h10 – ⏱️ It was immediately beaten by Elfyn Evans: eight tenths better than Thierry Neuville with a time of 6'54″4.

10h07 – ⏱️ 6'55″2: this is the first reference time set by Thierry Neuville on this 4th special.

10h03 – 🔎 We didn't point it out but Jari-Matti Latvala set the second time in the Rally2 category in the first special of the day, in SS2! The Finnish veteran with 209 WRC starts still has the driving skills!

10h01 – ☁️ The rain has finally stopped on the Finnish roads, which are already starting to dry slightly.

9h59 – 🟢 After this slight delay, we returned to this Rally of Finland with the launch of Thierry Neuville in SS4!

9h37 – 📺 The first amateur videos of Ott Tänak's accident are starting to arrive on social networks. We therefore realize that the Hyundai hit the tree present at the exit of the bend at high speed, before ending up on the roof.

9h34 – ⚠️ As a result of the interruption of SS3 following Ott Tänak's crash, the start of SS4 is delayed, it should be at 9:59 a.m.

9h28 – 🔴 SS3 was interrupted again as the Rally2s went by. According to the WRC, this red flag was caused by a “medical accident not linked to the rally”. Those who were unable to start SS3 will head directly to SS4.

9h18 – 🔎 Meet at 9:35 a.m. for the start of SS4 (Myhinpää 1 – 15,51 km).

9h16 – 🏁 Despite a very damaged Toyota, Sami Pajari finished the 3rd special without any problems, 16″3 behind Kalle Rovanperä’s time. The reigning double world champion signs his first scratch of the weekend and regains control of the Rally of Finland ahead of Elfyn Evans and Sébastien Ogier. Ott Tänak is already out of the race after his accident.

ES3 – Ranking

General ranking after ES3

9h13 – Like his teammate at M-Sport, Grégoire Munster is in difficulty with the Ford Puma in Finland: the Belgian, who races under a Luxembourg license, finishes 13 seconds behind the benchmark.

9h10 – Esapekka Lappi did not come far from stealing the scratch from his compatriot: the Finn crossed the finish line only 0″9 behind Kalle Rovanperä at the end of this SS3.

9h07 – Takamoto Katsuta finishes this 3rd special 3″4 behind Kalle Rovanperä.

9h06 – ⚠️ Hyundai provides news from Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja : « Ott and Martin went off the road on SS3 of Rally Finland. Ott is fine, but Martin will be taken to hospital for further checks. We will provide more updates when possible. »

9h04 – ⏱️ New best time for Kalle Rovanperä in 7'36″4! The Finn beats Elfyn Evans by four tenths and virtually takes the lead in the Rally Finland!

9h01 – 🇫🇷 Adrien Fourmaux still struggling on the wet roads of Finland: the Frenchman loses 13″4 on Elfyn Evans at the end of this 3rd special.

8h57 – 🇫🇷 Sébastien Ogier fails 2″6 behind his teammate and temporarily cedes control of the rally to the Welshman. “It was a bit difficult, it's never nice to wait at the start, but I'm happy that Ott [Tänak] and Martin [Järveoja] are okay. I lacked a little commitment. »

8h54 – ⏱️ Elfyn Evans is logically faster than Thierry Neuville in 7'36″8, or 13 seconds better than the Belgian who made an error at the end of the special.

8h48 – 🟢 And here we go again with Elfyn Evans taking off on SS3! 

8h47 – ⚠️ The 3rd special will resume shortly! Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja were taken to the medical center but the Estonian duo are fine.

8h42 – 🔴 Still no news regarding Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja, nor regarding a possible resumption time. We will keep you updated as soon as we have further information.

8h35 – 💬 Thierry Neuville after SS3 : “The grip was a little more consistent, but I went straight into a junction, there was a blind turn on a crest, my note clearly didn't read a junction and we went straight onto the grass . »

8h32 – 🔴 The Estonian had an accident at kilometer 2. According to the WRC, the crew got out of the car and was being examined by the medical team.

8h30 – 🔴 Red flag! The WRC indicates that an incident involving Ott Tänak took place during the special, without providing further information at the moment. The special is interrupted.

8h28 – ⏱️ First to leave, first to arrive: Thierry Neuville sets a time of 7'49″9 on this SS3. The Hyundai driver is visibly frustrated after his mistake!

8:27 a.m. – ⚠️ All right for Thierry Neuville! In the rain, the Belgian completely missed his braking point in a tight left turn and went into a loophole! The Hyundai is intact, but the championship leader has lost a good ten seconds!

8h23 – 🌧️ The rain has returned to Finnish roads, although it remains of low intensity.

8h20 – 🟢 Thierry Neuville takes the start of this brand new Saarikas special, let's go for SS3 of the Rally Finland!

8h15 – 🔎 A few minutes before the start of SS3, here is the ranking for Rally2 at the end of SS2 after the main favorites have passed. Remember that Yohan Rossel is not eligible for WRC2 points this weekend, since he did not register this Rally of Finland for his championship.

7h53 – 🔎 Meet at 8:20 a.m. for the start of SS3 (Saarikas 1 – 15,93 km).

7h50 – 🏁 Elfyn Evans therefore wins this SS2, while Sébastien Ogier takes the lead of the Rally of Finland after this first special of the day!

ES2 – Ranking

General ranking after ES2

7h49 – ⚠️ The young rookie of this Rally Finland, Sami Pajari, finishes the second special with a delay of 17″8. The Finn made two big mistakes in his difficult conditions, including an exit from the track which could have been fatal at the end of the special! The Toyota is badly damaged!

7h46 – A very complicated start to the event also for Grégoire Munster: the Belgian made an error during the special and lost 20″3 on this SS2.

7h43 – Esapekka Lappi, winner at home in 2017, crossed the finish line of SS2 4″6 behind the Toyota driver.

7h40 – The most Finnish of the Japanese, Takamoto Katsuta, finished this first special of the day 2” behind Elfyn Evans.

7h37 – Kalle Rovanperä fails 1″1 behind his teammate on this SS2. Remember that the double world champion is still chasing a first victory on home soil, having never won the Rally Finland in the premier category!

7h34 – 🇫🇷 Difficult start for Adrien Fourmaux: the Frenchman struggled as best he could with his Ford Puma and finished 11″7 behind the benchmark set by Elfyn Evans. “The conditions are really delicate. Sometimes you have grip, sometimes you don't. I decided to follow through and not make any mistakes. »

7h31 – 🇫🇷 It’s slightly slower for Sébastien Ogier, who takes the second provisional time, 0″4 behind the Welshman. “The conditions are difficult to start the rally. The grip conditions are very low and it is difficult to find rhythm. »

7h28 – ⏱️ Elfyn Evans improves the fastest time in 8'35″4 is four seconds faster than Thierry Neuville.

7h25 – Ott Tänak crossed the finish line 1″5 behind his teammate. A special “incredibly difficult” according to his words.

7h24 – 💬 Thierry Neuville: “It was very bad. I had a lot of little hot moments, the car didn't turn at all and did a huge slide. A real disaster. The differential opens constantly, we lose control. It's a difficult fight. »

7h22 – ⏱️ First reference time for Thierry Neuville in 8'39″4 at the finish of this 2nd special.

7h20 – 💬 Sébastien Ogier who, in fact, is delighted with his return to the Rally of Finland, having not started the event since 2021: “ It's also a difficult rally, where the local drivers have always been very strong, but it's the kind of challenge that I like and it's a rally that I really wanted to do again after a few years of absence . »

Ogier back in Finland: “I really wanted to do this rally again”

7h16 – 🔢 The Belgian has never won in Finland, unlike Sébastien Ogier (2013), Ott Tänak (2018, 2019, 2022), Elfyn Evans (2021, 2023) and Esapekka Lappi (2017).

7h13 – 🟢  Let's go for the first day of the Rally Finland with the departure of Thierry Neuville on the 2 kilometer long SS18!

7h10 – 🔎 Here is the starting order today, which reflects the order of the championship. Thierry Neuville will therefore open the road on the eight special stages planned for this Friday.

1) Neuville
2) Tanak
3) Evans
4) Ogier
5) Fourmaux
6) Rovanperä
7) Katsuta
8) Lappi
9) Munster
10) Pajari
11) Solberg (WRC2)
12) Rossel (WRC2)

7h07 – 🌧️ The sky is very gray above the Jyväskylä region! It rained last night, and the gravel roads are still very wet, which should spice up this first day of racing.

7h05 – 🔎 The first special took place last night on the Harju Super Special, with the best time from Thierry Neuville. The Belgian logically took the lead of the rally ahead of Takamoto Katsuta and Ott Tänak. Here is the general classification after SS1.

7h02 – 🆕 Among Rally1, the attraction of the weekend will obviously be Sami Pajari, who is making his debut in the premier category with Toyota on home soil. Moreover, the Japanese firm – which races not far from its WRC base in Jyväskylä – is arriving in Finland with an armada of five cars, with the presence of the two world champions Kalle Rovanperä and Sébastien Ogier!

Sami Pajari, the calm before the storm?

7h00 – 👋  Hello everyone ! Welcome to this live commentary to follow together the first day of the Rally Finland, ninth round of the 2024 WRC season. The start of SS2 (Laukaa 1 – 17,96 km) will be given in a few minutes, at 7:13 a.m.!

WRC Rally Finland

© Nikos Katikis / DPPI

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Dorian Grangier

A young journalist nostalgic for the motorsport of yesteryear. Raised on the exploits of Sébastien Loeb and Fernando Alonso.

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