No Ouninpohja at the 2026 Rally Finland

Shock among fans of rallyThe organizers of Rally Finland unveiled the route for their 2026 edition on Tuesday, the 75th anniversary of the legendary Scandinavian event, confirming that 66% of the course will be new. Among the casualties of these changes is the famous Ouninpohja stage, which will not be included in the rally's itinerary this August. This ultra-fast stage has been used in various versions in recent years and offers breathtaking images with its numerous jumps and very high top speeds each year. Crucially, the stage is located about 60 kilometers from Jyväskylä, the rally's host city, even though the organizers have tried this year to make their event more compact in response to new FIA requests to make the competition weekends more manageable.

Special news, final compact stage: Finland is thinking about the future

Consequently, other major changes have been made: the Myhninpää and Ruuhimäki stages, among others featured in last year's rally, have also been removed. However, three new stages will be introduced: Sydänmaa, Hoho, and Himos-Jämsä. The first of these is a piece of history, as it was partially used for the last time in 2010 in the event; the second was partially used, in the opposite direction, in 2023; while the third had 20 of its 30 kilometers used until the early 2010s.

It will also serve as the Power Stage on Sunday, August 02nd, and, as last year, will be the only special stage run in the final leg, twice in total. With this reorganization, Friday will be largely uncharted territory for many competitors, Saturday will be fast-paced, and Sunday will be more compact, all within a perimeter closer to the heart of the event. Perhaps this format could become the norm in the future.

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