After an intense battle in the WRC rally in Estonia, drivers shifted their focus to the highly anticipated Rally Finland – the longest rally in the calendar.
Home champion Kalle Rovanpera was eager to establish his dominance on his home turf. However, Rally Finland had more in store for the eager drivers, with challenging weather conditions and unexpected turns.
World champion Rovanpera had been leading the pack with a commanding 55-point advantage. But his fortunes took a turn for the worse as he lost control of his Toyota GR Yaris and rolled during the race. The dramatic incident left his teammate Elfyn Evans taking the lead at Super Stage 8, closely followed by Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville. Evans, despite giving away some points, managed to hold his ground and stated, “Overall, it’s been an okay day.”
However, this wasn’t the only drama witnessed at WRC Rally Finland on Friday. Earlier in the day, M-Sport faced a daunting situation as Ott Tanak, who secured victory at SS1, encountered engine troubles.
He switched into EV mode after 6.1 km, which forced him to pull off the stage and retire from the race.
Tanak’s teammate, Pierre-Louis Loubert, also had to retire due to similar engine issues. Tanak explained, “Unfortunately, we were forced to park the car at least for today.
Basically, one flat corner on the compression, we had a hit and broke the sump guard, which caused some damage to the engine.”Hyundai, too, experienced a setback when Esapekka Lappi, who had been putting up an impressive chase, crashed into a tree at SS4 while sitting at the fourth spot in the overall tally.
As the rally continues, the competition remains fierce, with unexpected twists and turns keeping drivers and fans on the edge of their seats. Stay tuned for more updates on the thrilling action at WRC Rally Finland!
