Sébastien Ogier overcame rapidly changing weather conditions to extend his lead at Rally Finland on Friday, as TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team locked out the top four positions after a dramatic second day.
The eight-time world champion, reunited with former co-driver Julien Ingrassia for the first time since 2021, delivered a measured yet dominant performance on the fast Finnish gravel roads. After winning three of the morning’s four stages to seize the rally lead, Ogier expertly navigated torrential afternoon rain to finish the day 16.3 seconds ahead of team-mate Elfyn Evans.
“It seems we managed it quite well as we increased our lead, so that’s very positive, but I’m sure the others will keep pushing and we will still have a fight on our hands for the rest of the weekend,” Ogier said.
Friday’s itinerary featured four stages run twice through the forests north-east of Jyväskylä following Thursday evening’s opening super special. While the morning produced close competition, the afternoon was transformed by heavy rain that dramatically altered grip levels and visibility.
Finnish driver Sami Pajari, fresh from claiming his maiden World Rally Championship victory in Estonia two weeks ago, briefly moved into second overall after setting the fastest time on the opening stage of the afternoon loop. However, worsening conditions later in the day cost him valuable time, dropping him back to third overall, 26.7 seconds behind the leader.
Championship leader Evans, running first on the road, benefitted from arriving at Saarikas before the heaviest rain struck to claim the stage win and climb into second place.
“We made a decent start this morning; the grip was changing a lot from corner to corner but the driving felt pretty committed,” Evans said. “The rain arrived this afternoon and we took advantage on the second stage before the conditions deteriorated. Seb’s had a great day and it’s a big gap to try and catch, but it’s still relatively early days in this rally.”
Oliver Solberg also endured contrasting fortunes. After losing around a minute when caught in the worst of the downpour, he responded by setting the fastest time on the following stage and ended the day fourth overall, ensuring Toyota occupied the top four positions.
Takamoto Katsuta’s afternoon unravelled despite finding improved pace after setup changes. Limited visibility caused by mist on the windscreen cost the Japanese driver more than two minutes, leaving him eighth overall, although he recovered to share the fastest time on the closing Harju super special.
“It has been a frustrating day,” Katsuta said. “The feeling with the car was much better this afternoon, but unfortunately we got a lot of mist on the screen and struggled to see anything. The main priority was to stay on the road.”
Toyota deputy team principal Juha Kankkunen described the weather as some of the most unusual he had experienced in Rally Finland.
“It has been quite a dramatic day, especially with the weather,” Kankkunen said. “I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen something like that on Rally Finland, with such heavy rain falling on dry roads. Seb especially has been very good. Tomorrow the conditions should be more normal and it will be flat-out once again.”
In WRC2, Toyota also enjoyed a strong day, with Roope Korhonen sitting second in class, team principal Jari-Matti Latvala third and Teemu Suninen fourth.
Rally Finland standings after Friday
- Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – 1:03:47.4
- Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +16.3s
- Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +26.7s
- Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +41.3s
- Mārtiņš Sesks/Renārs Francis (Ford Puma Rally1) +1:04.9
- Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +1:24.0
- Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) +2:29.0
- Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +2:30.7
- Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +2:56.2
- Robert Virves/Jakko Viilo (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +3:08.7
Saturday’s action moves to the familiar roads south-east of Jyväskylä, with Parkkola, Västilä, Päijälä and Leustu all returning to the itinerary, setting the stage for another high-speed battle as Ogier looks to protect his advantage.
