Pecco Bagnaia wins the Austrian GP Sprint race by just over two seconds ahead of Brad Binder and Jorge Martin.
After qualifying on pole position this morning, Bagnaia was able to have a great start from the best position on the grid. Alongside him was Maverick Vinales who struggled with the start and dropped down the order. From third place, Binder jumped up into second place and started chasing down the Italian rider.
After the first corner, Jack Miller was also able to capitalise on the poor start from Vinales and improved to third place.
As the riders came to take the first corner, Martin took the inside line and had contact with Fabio Quartararo who in turn touched Vinales. The Aprilia rider then had contact with Marco Bezzechi who had to retire on the next lap. Other riders that were involved in the incident were Miguel Olivera, Johan Zarco and Enea Bastianini.
Following this incident, Quartararo dropped down to twentieth position and Vinales brought up the rear of the field.
Binder continued to show his pace as he caught up to Bagnaia quickly and began to look for places on the track pass the Italian rider. Both Bagnaia and Binder began to break away from Miller in third place and by the end of the first lap, they had a one second lead over the Australian rider.
Martin was handed a track limits warning during the second lap, one of those was likely to be from the lap one turn one incident.
Nakagami crashed on the second lap and was unable to continue with the race.
Bagnaia started setting fastest lap after fastest lap and started to move ahead of Binder, leaving him about a second behind the leader.
Luca Marini caught up to Miller and started to see where the KTM rider was struggling around the circuit. As these two fought, Martin was able to catch the pair too.
Marini was able to pass Miller on the start finish straight on lap 6 and Martin was also attempting to get past too however it would be made easy for the Pramac rider when Miller ran wide at turn three. On the next lap, Martin attacked Marini into the chicane, but they touched each other, causing the Italian rider to crash out. The incident was investigated, but no action was taken.
On the ninth lap, Quartararo was given a long lap penalty for irresponsible riding. This incident occurred a few laps prior and was when he went to overtake Lorenzo Salvadori, the pair touched causing the Aprilia rider to crash out.
Quartararo took the long lap penalty on the twelfth lap and dropped down the order and was unable to make much progress due to there only being two laps left.
Zarco had to retire the bike on the penultimate lap after being involved in the first lap incident.
Brad Binder chasing down Pecco Bagnaia at the 2023 Austrian GP Sprint race. Image courtesy of KTM/Rob Gray (Polarity Photo)
Bagnaia took the chequered flag 2.056 seconds ahead of Binder who in turn was 5.045 seconds ahead of Jorge Martin. Alex Marquez took fourth place after overtaking Miller. Pol Espargaro led his brother Aleix over the line to take sixth and seventh place respectively.
Vinales was able to improve to eighth place after being in last place at the end of the first lap. Franco Morbidelli and Marc Marquez rounded out the top ten
Fabio Di Giannatonio, Joan Mir and Bastianini occupied the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth places. Raul Fernandez, Fabio Quartararo, Iker Lecuona and Augusto Fernandez completed the riders who finished the race.
2023 AUSTRIAN MOTOGP, RED BULL RING – SPRINT RACE RESULTS
On a rain soaked Silverstone circuit, it was Leopard Racing’s Jaume Masia who took pole position ahead of Britain’s Scott Ogden in 2nd and championship rival Daniel Holgado in 3rd.Masia taking the fight to Holgado as best he can to keep his title hopes alive.
It was a qualifying session full of yellow flags and riders tip toeing round the circuit in cold damp conditions.. Well it wouldn’t be a proper British Grand Prix without the rain and clouds now would it.
Into Q1 and with 9 mins left of the session the first set of times were coming through with Xavi Artigas posting the quickest time. Just as Artigas went quickest, David Alonso lit up the yellow flags in sector 4 and was unable to get the bike going again. Alonso would have to start Sunday’s Grand Prix from the back of the grid.
As the riders confidence grew throughout the session the lap times tumbled with Artigas dominating the session, a surprise name in the Q1. With David Salvador at the end of the session going down at turn 17, the top 4 going through to Q2 were Artigas, Taiyo Furusato, Joel Kelso and Filippo Farioli.
Into Q2 we went and with these conditions it was anybody’s guess as to who would take pole for Sunday’s race. Ivan Ortola and Stefano Nepa were the first to come through with the KTM teammates posting the first batch of quick times. When the riders found the grip the lap times fell with the usual names of Holgado, Ayumu Sasaki and Masia all quickly into the top 10.
Last 5mins of Q2 and championship leader Holgado topped the times by a few tenths to Sasaki in 2nd. Masia then only a few moments later smashed the quickest time by over half a second to go to the top of the timings.
Pushing for pole Holgado in sector 4 had a big high side at club corner. The championship leader caught out and was likely to go quickest with just one corner left of the lap.
Only a minute left of the session now and with both sectors 1 and 4 in yellow flags could Masia hold onto pole position. The final laps came thick and fast as Scott Ogden was red in the first three sectors and Sasaki was also flying on his final attempt. With both riders pushing for pole position, Sasaki crossed the line only to be pipped to pole by Ogden. As Ogden looked up to the screen and started celebrating there was a lot of confusion as to why the timing screens were showing Masia on pole position.
After what must of been an agonising wait for Ogden, confirmation eventually came through to show that Ogden’s lap time had been cancelled. Still a fantastic qualifying from the home rider clearly showing his talent in mixed conditions.
Pole position for Masia then with Holgado in 3rd. Two championship rivals on the front row with British rider Scott Ogdon in the middle in 2nd.
With overcast skies, cold conditions and a damp track, it could only be Silverstone for the British Grand Prix and what a grand prix it was! David Alonso with the ride of a lifetime starting at the back of the grid to take his first Grand Prix win in Moto3.
Race winner at the Dutch TT in Assen and main title rival to Daniel Holgado, Jaume Masia failed to convert his pole position finishing way down in 18th place. Holgado finished in 3rd place taking a championship lead of 22 points to the next round in Austria. Ayumu Sasaki finished 2nd for the Husqvarna team also moving up to second in the championship standings.
AS IT HAPPENED
A British rider on the front row of the British Grand Prix, and it started with heartbreak for Scott Ogden as the Vision Track Racing Team rider couldn’t get the bike going for the warm up lap. A front row start ruined and Ogden would have to start at the back of the grid.
Masia got off to a great start only to be overtaken by Holgado into turn 1. A few corners in and Deniz Öncü was up from starting 9th to 1st battling with Holgado and Masia at the front of the Grand Prix. Now onto the Hangar Straight up towards Stowe corner, Öncü was side by side with Holgado as they come through the final corners to complete the lap 1. Öncü leading the way with Masia 2nd and Holgado in 3rd.
GASGAS Aspar rider David Alonso at the end of lap 1 was up an incredible 16 places and David Muñoz for BOE Motorsports up 12 places. Incredible starts for Alonso and Muñoz.
14 laps to go and Alonso goes by Artigas up to 11th, at the front its ever changing with Öncü making a mistake at Copse corner allowing Ortola and Sasaki to come through and join the party at the front. Alonso, didn’t stop there on lap 2 getting by Romano Fenati and quickly Joel Kelso up to 9th now for the Colombian teenager.
Into lap 3 now, Diogo Moreira posts the fastest lap of the race so far, Masia leads from Sasaki in 2nd followed by Holgado and Ortola. Yellow flags in sector 1 waved as Masia crashed out of the lead going into The Loop, a nightmare for Leopard Racing and Masia after such a strong weekend starting on pole position.
Still on lap 3 and the order is now Holgado leading with Moreira in 2nd who started 17th on the grid, followed by Tatsuki Suzuki in 3rd who started 10th and Alonso in 4th who started the race at the back of the grid.
Lap 4 and Holgado now looking to capitalise on Masia no longer at the front trying to break from the group, but the rest of the pack have other ideas. Moreira, Alonso and Sasaki ever dicing and changing positions at every opportunity along the long winding Silverstone circuit.
Lap 5 and Öncü is now back on the attack on Sasaki’s back wheel trying to take the lead hard on the breaks as they break into vale corner coming to the end of the lap. Holgado lead at the start of Lap 5 and ending it in 7th place. Any of the top 10 to 15 riders could possibly win this race with 10 laps to go. A classic Moto3 race unfolding here at Silverstone.
From qualifying LAST to running FIRST in the race! 🔥
Coming up to half way through now and Alonso leads, a potential superstar in the making, you would never of thought that this was his very first time racing at Silverstone.
Collin Veijer posting fastest lap after lap now up to 8th after starting down in 15th. The leading group of 10 riders all fighting for the win. With constant dicing and changing of positions the race is shaping up a for a last lap battle to take victory.
Lap 11 of 15 and Holgado leads with Ortola, Alonso, Sasaki and Öncü all dicing and swapping positions. Its been an incredible Silverstone Grand Prix so far and its impossible to call as to who is going to take victory. No rider able to pull a gap at the front and Silverstone offers so many different lines and overtaking opportunities.
3 Laps to go now and yellow flags appear in sector 4, Matteo Bertelle and Suzuki crash out as Alonso is making his way back from 8th to 5th. Sasaki leading from Öncü and now Alonso up to 3rd place half way through lap number 3. To the end of lap 3 we go now and across the line Holgado pulls alongside and by Alonso into first along the Hamilton Straight. Sasaki now into turn 3 past Alonso as they go onto the Wellington Straight. This race is heading for a photo finish.
Last lap now and championship leader Holgado leads with Alonso 2nd and Öncü 3rd. Sasaki and Ortola coming together battling for 4th place just behind the leading 3.
Into Luffield Corner and the Colombian teenager Alonso goes up the inside of Holgado and takes the lead. Sasaki now goes by taking the lead into Maggotts and Becketts. Down into Stowe corner Alonso retakes the lead from Sasaki and hangs on to take the win. What a race. The GASGAS Aspar Team have found a superstar.
The top 15 point scoring positions were covered by just 1.572 seconds at the end of the Grand Prix. One of the closest finishes in Grand Prix history. What a comeback race for Moto3 after the summer break.
The final day then with Elfyn and Scott leading the event by 32.1 seconds over Thierry and Martijn. There was a battle to the finish between Takamoto and Teemu for the final podium spot. I should correct myself following yesterday’s report. Takamoto has already taken three podiums at the top level, so could this be his fourth at the top level?
There remained 51km’s over four stages to decide the 2023 edition of this truly classic rally. Once again Pierre-Louis would open the road throughout the final day.
Into SS19 Moksi – Sahloinen 1 – 16.56 km and Elfyn was fastest from Teemu and Takamoto. The Finn had closed the gap to third placed Takamoto, just 4.5 seconds between them. Elfyn’s pace had increased his lead to 36.6 seconds. Meanwhile in WRC2 the top three fastest were Emil, Roope and Andreas, whilst the top three overall remained Sami, Adrien and Nikolay.
Next up was SS20 Himos – Jämsä 1 – 9.26 km and Takamoto won the stage from Thierry and Teemu. The Finn had a wild moment on the top of the hill as he came down the hill. In WRC2 Nikolay was fastest from Emil and Andreas whilst the top three in the category remained the same.
Into the penultimate stage then, SS21 Moksi – Sahloinen 2 – 16.56 km and Elfyn was again fastest from Thierry and Teemu. In WRC2 Emil was fastest from Nikolay and Sami who remained firmly in charge of the category. He and Enni were on their way to a likely first category win.
It was time for the final stage and early pace setter Pierre-Louis’s time was eclipsed by Jari-Matti as the Finnish legend completed his 210 WRC event. Thierry came through to set the fastest time. The big question was now could or would Elfyn push to take the stage win and all five points to go with it? Well, he was up on every single split and won the stage by nine tenths of a second. What a drive from the Welsh wizard, taking his second Finnish win. In WRC2 Sami and Enni took their first victory, this coming after their first podium in the category last time out in Estonia.
Let’s take a look at the top ten.
Final Overall Classification –Rally Finland
1
E. Evans
S. Martin
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid
2:33:11.3
2
T. Neuville
M. Wydaeghe
Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
+39.1
3
T. Katsuta
A. Johnston
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid
+1:36.7
4
T. Suninen
M. Markkula
Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
+1:41.0
5
J. M. Latvala
J. Hänninen
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid
+4:09.4
6
O. Solberg
E. Edmondson
Škoda Fabia RS
+9:33.6
7
S. Pajari
E. Mälkönen
Škoda Fabia RS
+10:03.7
8
A. Fourmaux
A. Coria
Ford Fiesta Mk II
+10:37.5
9
N. Gryazin
K. Aleksandrov
Škoda Fabia RS
+11:11.5
10
A. Mikkelsen
T. Eriksen
Škoda Fabia RS
+11:35.2
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Elfyn Evans 1st Overall
“It’s been a great weekend for us, and it feels pretty special to win this rally for the second time. It’s one of my favourites and a home rally for the team with the factory being based in Jyväskylä. It also feels really special to win with Akio here this weekend and to share the podium with him and with Taka as well. It’s been fantastic to drive this car on these roads and it’s been a joy to be behind the wheel. We had a really nice feeling almost from the beginning. We were sorry to lose Kalle from the fight on Friday but then we could make a few little steps with the setup for Saturday which really boosted my confidence. Things really clicked and the stage times came naturally. It’s a positive weekend in terms of the championship as well and we’re now a bit closer to Kalle than we were before.”
Takamoto Katsuta 3rd Overall
“I’m very happy to be on the podium at Rally Finland, my second home rally. It’s a really big thing for me and the team and also for Akio-san. He was giving me extra energy and motivation which was helping in the really intense battle that we had with Teemu. He was doing a really good job so it was not so easy, but we managed to make some gap on Saturday evening when the conditions were tricky, and this made the final day a bit less stressful. After Rally Estonia we worked really hard together with the team’s engineers to analyse where I could improve, and this was why I could perform well already from Friday morning. I must also say thanks to Kalle who was giving me advice during our tests for driving these Finnish roads.”
Jari-Matti Latvala 5th Overall
“It has been an amazing and fun feeling all weekend, I really enjoyed the driving in this car. Thank you to Akio and the team for giving me this great opportunity. It’s been something really phenomenal that I will remember for the rest of the life. It was extraordinary to be able to drive relaxed without having to think about the results. When the conditions were difficult, we could just drive with our own rhythm and to end up fifth overall and even score in the Power Stage, it’s just fantastic. It is also really special to see Elfyn on the top step of the podium and Takamoto in third and I’m really happy for both of them.”
Hyundai Motorsport
Thierry Neuville 2nd Overall
“It is a big relief to be back on the Rally Finland podium after ten years of what I would say was a struggle. It shows that the team and the changes that are ongoing are heading in the right direction. I think it’s clearly a sign that we have to carry on. I’m happy we have a bit of a break as this weekend was quite exhausting, but we have done the job. Thank you to the team.”
2023 FIA World Rally Championship Round 9, Rally Finland 3 – 6 August 2023 Thierry Neuville Photographer: Austral Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Teemu Suninen 4th Overall
“I would say the result itself is quite good even if there is some disappointment to miss out the podium. There is a lot to process after these two rallies that will help prepare the next one and come back stronger. It has been a pleasure working with the Hyundai Motorsport team, they are really supporting me and giving me everything they can. I’m really looking forward to the next rally together.”
2023 FIA World Rally Championship Round 09, Rally Finland 02-05 August 2023 Teemu Suninen, Mikko Markkula, Hyundai i20 N Rally 1 Photographer: Dufour Fabien Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
M-Sport Ford WRT
Adrien Fourmaux, 2nd in WRC2, 7th Overall
“I have to say that the team has been working really well and we had a great result here in Finland. We had no issues at all on the car, it was a perfect weekend for us, we had all the info we needed in the stages. We are really happy; it wasn’t in the plan to be here and finishing this rally on the podium in second position is a great consolation for everybody and for us. I was really happy to be fighting with the Finnish drivers on these roads, it was quite special.”
WRC – World Rally Championship 2023
Grégoire Munster, 9th in WRC2, 15th Overall
“It was a good rally for us, we learned quite a lot. The pace was improving steadily stage by stage, even though on some stages we had difficult weather conditions. We had to try different things with the set up and so that was also a very nice learning experience.”
Pierre-Louis Loubet, 46th Overall
“I am quite disappointed about the weekend, we tried to be on the pace, but unfortunately, I hit a tree and had to restart. We did a good day on Saturday, but today it was difficult to maintain a high pace as we were nursing a small issue with the engine that meant we lost some power. We tried our best during the power stage to score more points.
“Greece is next, we had some strong pace there last year and I hope everything goes well there. I think even though not everything is going in the right direction with results, the progress is there, and we just need to keep pushing.”
WRC – World Rally Championship 2023
Ott Tänak, Retired Friday
“Of course, we are disappointed, after Estonia this isn’t how we wanted this week to go. It’s a shame we can’t continue but the car is too damaged for us to carry on.
“Now it’s time to have a break after a busy few months, then we will focus fully on Greece in September.”
Toksport
Oliver Solberg
“I am so happy,” he said. “When we came here, we came after two really bad results in Finland [in 2021 and 2022]. I really wanted to make experience on these roads. “On Friday, I was taking a little bit more time. It was my first time in roads like Myhinpää – a really big and classic stage in Finland. I didn’t want to make any mistakes and I was driving with some margin and not taking anything like the ultimate risks.
“I wanted to feel my way into Finland, to take the confidence I’d been missing for the last two years. I didn’t change anything through Estonia and here in Finland, the set-up was working so well – and I could push and take time. “Everybody knows the local drivers are strong in Finland, so to come here and beat them all is something incredible for me. The fight with the Finns was so cool and this rally is so cool – always you’re battling for seconds and tenths of seconds on these amazing roads. “Today was more about managing things and driving at a decent pace to get to the finish with the win.”
Summary
Well, what a fantastic victory for Elfyn and Scott. Their second win on these fast roads again confirm they should never be written off. Their second win of this season and seventh overall win for Elfyn, six for Scott has brought them into the fight for this year’s championship, now just 25 points away from their teammates, Kalle and Jonne.
Thierry and Martijn scored their best result as a crew on this event since they started together in 2021. It was also Thierry’s best result on this event for ten years, his last podium coming in 2013 when he had Nicolas co-driving and they were at M-Sport.
Finally, Takamoto and Aaron had a brilliant drive to a fourth ever podium taking some good stage wins on each day and this was their third podium as a crew.
Next rally is the Acropolis Rally from the 7th to the 10th of September. The teams will enjoy a good break and come back to complete this year’s championship.
2023 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings
After round 9
1
K. Rovanperä
170
2
E. Evans
145
3
T. Neuville
134
4
O. Tänak
104
5
S. Ogier
98
6
E. Lappi
87
7
T. Katsuta
58
8
D. Sordo
46
9
T. Suninen
34
10
P.L Loubet
28
2023 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
After round 9
There were times when it felt like we were watching a Moto3 race today at Silverstone – there was drama up and down the grid and 5 riders all in contention for the win when we reached the final lap.
Aleix Espargaro has won the British grand prix at Silverstone in stunning fashion. Despite starting the race in 12th, he quietly made his way up the field, capitalised on others crashing, and then found himself in the leading group of four. There was plenty of tussling and battling but he kept his eyes on race leader Pecco Bagnaia to then make a move on the final lap of the race.
Bagnaia ended the day in 2nd, despite looking pretty untouchable and dominant for much of the race.
The final podium position was taken by Brad Binder, who mastered the tricky weather conditions and used them to his advantage. As others tiptoed round the circuit, making cautious moves, he threw his KTM machine around on his way up to 3rd.
Binder enjoyed a lot of battles with Miguel Oliveira, who is back this weekend after taking some time out due to an injury. He was very close to the final podium spot as well as Maverick Vinales. The pair eventually came home 4th and 5th respectively.
As is becoming so normal now on race day, Jack Miller flew off the start line and was an early leader. However, he began to drop back a little bit and then, on lap 3, Vinales made an aggressive move up the inside as the pair were fighting for 4th. This move pushed Miller out wide and dropped him back to 14th. He eventually finished the day in 8th.
Rain started to fall on lap 13 of 20. Four riders opted to change bike and run the wet tires, including Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli. However, the gamble didn’t pay off and they all finished at the back of the grid.
Joining them at the back as the checkered flag fell was Fabio Quartararo. But his day wasn’t as bad as it seemed. The Frenchman started the race from last on the grid and worked hard to get himself up to 8th. Whilst fighting with Luca Marini for 7th, the pair collided and he went down at turn 4. He lost much of the carbon fibre off the front of the bike but was able to keep going. He came in to the pits to change his bike and then ended the day 15th. A disappointing result for the Yamaha rider, but he did show glimpses of the old Fabio today.
There were further DNFs for Alex Marquez who retired with a technical failure on lap 5. It looked as though his gear linkage was broken as he limped his way back to the garage.
His brother, Marc Marquez, also failed to meet the checkered flag. He was battling with Enea Bastianini at Maggotts and Becketts when the two collided and both went down – it seems they were just making moves that were too risky when the track was greasy and wet.
Full Results
1st
Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia
2nd
Pecco Bagnaia
Ducati
3rd
Brad Binder
KTM
4th
Miguel Oliveira
CryptoDATA RNF
5th
Maverick Vinales
Aprilia
6th
Jorge Martin
Prima Pramac
7th
Luca Marini
Mooney VR46
8th
Jack Miller
KTM
9th
Johann Zarco
Prima Pramac
10th
Raul Fernandez
CryptoDATA RNF
11th
Augusto Fernandez
GASGASG Tech3
12th
Pol Espargaro
GASGASG Tech3
13th
Fabio Di Giannantonio
Gresini
14th
Franco Morbidelli
Yamaha
15th
Fabio Quartararo
Yamaha
16th
Takaaki Nakagami
LCR Honda
17th
Icer Lecuona
LCR Honda
DNFs = Joan Mir (Repsol Honda), Alex Marquez (Gresini), Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), Enea Bastianini (Ducati)
The second day of action from Finland dawned with Elfyn holding the lead from Thierry, the gap sitting at 6.9 seconds between the top two. The crews faced eight stages and a total of 160 of competitive kilometres.
Pierre-Louis Loubet returned for M-Sport and would open the road throughout Saturday’s stages. There was news that surprised many though with Kalle and Jonne not restarting at all. The damage to the 69 GR Yaris was too high and the world champions would not be returning.
The action started with SS11 Västilä 1 – 18.94 km and Elfyn was quick out of the blocks, going 4.6 seconds faster than Thierry, thus increasing his lead to 11.5 seconds. Teemu was third fastest, taking 8 tenths of a seconds from Takamoto’s lead as the pair fought over third overall. In WRC2, Sami was fastest from Marco and Mikko, whilst the category was led by Jari from Sami and Adrien who moved up into third overall.
Next up was SS12 Päijälä 1 – 20.19 km and Elfyn was fastest again by 4 tenths of a second over Thierry. Takamoto had a spin in this one and fell behind Teemu, the Finn taking third overall. Top three remained the same in WRC2.
Elfyn maintained the great pace out there in SS13 Rapsula 1 – 20.56 km winning again by 3.4 seconds from Thierry and Takamoto was third, who closed the gap a little to Teemu who remained in third overall. Gus drove well in this one, setting the best time in WRC2 with Sami matching the Brit’s time and Roope third fastest. Meanwhile Jari remained in charge of the category leading from Sami and Adrien.
Elfyn made it four out of four in the final morning stage, with Thierry second and Takamoto third and reduced the gap even further to just a second to Teemu who remained third overall. The Welshman had increased his lead over Thierry to 17.7 seconds and was firmly in charge.
Into the afternoon stages with the rerun of SS15 Västilä 2 – 18.94 km and Elfyn was really fast in this one, with Thierry second but 7.8 slower than the leader. Meanwhile Takamoto regained third overall moving ahead of Teemu by just eight tenths of a second. Meanwhile it was all change in WRC2 with Jari suffering an engine problem and falling down from the lead. Sami moved into the lead from Adrien and Andreas.
Next up was SS16 Päijälä 2 – 20.19 km and Elfyn was again fastest from Thierry by another good margin of 4.5 seconds. Teemu moved back past Takamoto as their battle for third place continued, moving ahead by just three tenths of a second.
Just two stages left and Elfyn won SS17 Rapsula 2 – 20.56 km from Thierry and Takamoto. Just a tenth of a second separated Teemu and Takamoto in their fight for third place. Sami also remained in charge of WRC2 with a similar lead to Elfyn’s over Thierry.
The final stage then of the day, SS18 Vekkula 2 – 20.65 km and it was a clean sweep for the Toyota squad as Takamoto won the final stage of the day from Thierry and Elfyn. The Japanese stars pace and also a problem for Teemu with the loss of his front splitter meant he’d retaken third overall. In WRC2 Adrien was fastest from Sami and Emil. There was a change for third though in the category as Andreas suffered a tyre off the rim and dropped almost 11.8 seconds and one place. Benefitting from this was Nikolay, going back into third place.
WRC – World Rally Championship 2023
Let’s check the top positions and hear from the drivers.
Classification after Day Two
1
E. Evans
S. Martin
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid
2:08:07.0
2
T. Neuville
M. Wydaeghe
Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
+32.1
3
T. Katsuta
A. Johnston
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid
+1:27.8
4
T. Suninen
M. Markkula
Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
+1:34.2
5
J. M. Latvala
J. Hänninen
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid
+3:39.5
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Elfyn Evans
“The feeling’s been good today and the car has been working well. We’ve had the confidence to push and also been able to focus on driving cleanly where necessary. Conditions were difficult at times, especially in the last stage, but we seemed to have everything under control and we’re obviously happy to be in this position tonight. We had some incredible stages today, some of the best in the world, and to have a car that’s working as we want in those conditions has been mega and reminds me of the feeling, we had here in 2021. But there is still some distance to go tomorrow, and we’re focused on what we need to do to bring the car home in this position.”
Takamoto Katsuta
“This morning was tricky as it was still raining quite a lot. In the first stage I was struggling to judge the grip, and then in the second one I was trying to drive better but I made a small mistake that cost us a lot of time. After that, I was trying to fight back but the time gaps were very close, and we were only gaining a few tenths of a second on each stage. But we knew the last stage could have difficult conditions so I decided to push as much as I can. Of course, there was risk, but I knew it could put us in a better position for tomorrow if we could make some time, and luckily we could. Tomorrow will still be a big challenge, but I will try my best.”
Jari-Matti Latvala
“It has been good fun again today. It’s always nice to go to these stages around Jämsä which are wide, fast and flowing with usually a lot of people spectating, and the atmosphere was really nice. The conditions were a bit challenging with a lot of rain, but it was still enjoyable most of the time. The last stage of the day was more like Safari, with big ruts full of water and a lot of mud coming to the windscreen. But it has been great to see so many people cheering for us on the stages and telling us that we’re doing well. The boost I’m getting from them is giving me an amazing feeling and I hope to carry that until the finish tomorrow.”
Hyundai Motorsport
Thierry Neuville
“It wasn’t the day we were hoping for, but still it was a good one. We had some speed this morning, but it was trickier this afternoon. Challenging weather conditions made it difficult for us to keep the car on the road. We tried to push hard but, in the end, we had to settle provisionally for second behind a very quick Elfyn. We’re satisfied though, we weren’t expecting to be in this position in Finland. We’ve done a good job and the car was working fine. The championship hasn’t been easy up until now, but our hope isn’t lost, so let’s see how many points we can maximise from this event.”
2023 FIA World Rally Championship Round 9, Rally Finland 3 – 6 August 2023 Thierry Neuville Photographer: Austral Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Teemu Suninen
“It’s been a good day for us until the last stage. Generally, throughout the day we have been able to catch Takamoto, then pass him and have a proper fight, but we lost time on the final stage. The ruts were full of water, so it was difficult to adjust the speed and assess the grip level in the muddy places. It would be great to get the podium, especially in only my second rally in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid but it is a tricky, long day ahead – still we have a good chance, so we have to go for it.”
2023 FIA World Rally Championship Round 9, Rally Finland 3 – 6 August 2023 Teemu Suninen, HMDP Photographer: Austral Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Summary
Well, what a brilliant day for Elfyn and Scott. We have seen this kind of drive before from them at many rallies over the last few years and the way he gapped Thierry and Martijn on these incredible stages was fantastic. They utterly deserve to win tomorrow, and it will be a case of bringing it home.
Thierry and Martijn just did not have an answer to the Toyota crew today, but this has been one of the best performances at this rally for over a decade.
Takamoto could take a third career podium in his adopted home land, let’s see if he can hold off Teemu tomorrow.
In typical British fashion, all we could talk about for most of today’s sprint race was the weather. It was unpredictable and difficult to master. But one man came out on top – and for the first time in his premier class career!
It was Alex Marquez who came out on top for today’s sprint race at the British GP. He started the race in 3rd, took the lead on lap 2, and never looked back. He faced a late charge from Marco Bezzecchi, who came home in 2nd, but he lead easily and took the checkered flag in dominant fashion.
The final podium spot was taken by Maverick Vinales, who was thrilled to squeeze a podium out of his Aprilia machine which, typically, doesn’t like these damp conditions.
Early race leaders, Jorge Martin and Jack Miller eventually came home in 6th and 7th respectively.
Further down the pack, it was a difficult day for reigning champion Pecco Bagnaia – he came home in 14th and scored no points, meaning his championship lead over Bezzecchi has been cut to 27 points.
It was an even tougher day for Marc Marquez, coming home in 18th and seemingly facing yet more issues on his Honda, and Fabio Quartararo who made no waves in the race at all – the Frenchman started the race last, in 22nd, and was only able to make up one place across the entire sprint race. A day to forget for both former champions.
The sprint races format, which is new for 2023 in this new era of MotoGP, has now given us 5 different winners across 9 different race weekends. The forecast for tomorrow’s main race is looking dry – can Alex Marquez replicate his win under those normal conditions?
As it happened
After a saturated free practice and qualifying session earlier in the day, the track was beginning to dry as the riders took to the grid for today’s sprint race. That left a lot of questions around tire selection and mid-race bike changes. As it turned out, every rider opted for medium wet tires and this seemed to be the ideal option as the rain would start falling before the race ended.
As the lights went out, Jack Miller and his KTM machine took an unsurprising early lead. He flew off the line and quickly got past polesitter Marco Bezzecchi. Bezzecchi put up an early fight but it was the Aussie who was clearly out in the lead by the end of the first few corners.
The reigning champ has had a terrible first lap! 🤯
Further back down the pack, Pecco Bagnaia had a wobble and fell back from his starting position of 4th and in to a pack of squabbling riders. He was now back down in 12th after losing 8 places. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini clashed in the opening few corners, causing a large gap to form right in the middle of the pack.
Miller wasn’t able to keep hold of the lead for long – after getting past Augusto Fernandez to take 3rd, Jorge Martin flew up the inside of both Bezzecchi in 2nd and Miller in 1st to steal the lead of the race at Stowe corner. It didn’t last for long though and the Prima Pramac rider soon lost out to Bezzecchi and Miller again.
It was on lap 2 that Alex Marquez took the lead. He first shoved his way up the inside of Bezzecchi and then, a few corners later, flew past Miller and into the lead. By the end of lap 3, Marquez had a 0.5 second lead over the rest of the pack.
On lap 4, Maverick iInales and Aleix Espargaro make their way past Martin, who has now been shuffled back to 6th. On the following lap, Vinales was now battling with Miller for the final podium position.
At the halfway point, with his brother leading the pack by 0.8 seconds, Marc Marquez was still struggling down in 14th and he could be seen looking over his shoulder, suggesting there might have been an issue with his bike.
The grid then began to settle in to the race and everything seemed to calm down. Aleix Espargaro took 4th away from Miller, and shortly after we had Martin closing in on the Aussie too. Further back down the grid and Fabio Giannantonio took 12th away from Bagnaia, before Bastianini followed suit.
On lap 8, we had spots of rain appearing at various points on the circuit and, on lap 9, Bezzecchi was squeezing everything out of his Mooney VR46 machine as he went on the hunt for Marquez and the race win. By the start of the final lap, the gap has dropped from just over a second down to 0.8 seconds. Then, in the first sector of the final lap, Bezzecchi took another 0.3 seconds off this gap. Sadly, in the end, Bezzecchi just ran out of road and came home 0.366s behind maiden premier class winner Alex Marquez.
During a typical summer’s day at the British Grand Prix, the rain poured at Silverstone for our first qualifying after the summer break. The conditions were difficult to master, with many riders falling, but one man was able to secure pole.
Marco Bezzecchi mastered the awful conditions on track today to bring his bike home in pole – his second consecutive pole position. However, his bike wasn’t unscathed. Bezzecchi went down in the dying minutes of Q2 whilst trying to improve on his time. His bike looked very much like it was ready for the scrap heap as the Italian rider walked to parc ferme. He will be joined on the front row by Jack Miller and Alex Marquez who also mastered the conditions.
As It Happens
Qualifying 1
The first rider to fall victim to the conditions was Fabio DiGiantonio. He faced a highside going into Abbey corner with 9 minutes remaining on the clock. It was a disappointing early end to the session for the rider was was fastest in practice and was sitting at the top of the timing sheets so far in qualifying.
A few minutes later, Fabio Quartararo aquaplanes at turn 16 – he is able to keep the bike upright and gets it going again to rejoin the session.
Franco Morbidelli is next to top the timing sheets and continues to beat his own time on his way to a Q2 spot.
Enea Bastianini was looking set to join Morbidelli in Q2, sitting comfortably in 2nd for much of the session. However, he was bested by Augusto Fernandez in the dying moments, as the Spanish rider set a 2:16.885.
It was a hugely difficult day for Quartararo who wasn’t able to find his rhythm again after the mid-session incident. He will start both of this weekend’s races from the back of the grid.
Qualifying 2
The first rider to top the timing sheets was Jack Miller who set a blistering lap time of 2:15.629 – it seemed to come out of nowhere as the Aussie left everything on the track whilst others were tip-toeing around.
With 6 and a half minutes left on the clock, Pecco Bagnaia had a fast crash after locking the breaks. He went down at turn 6 and despite hitching a lift on a moped, he wasn’t able to get back to the garage with enough time to get back on track for a hot lap. Luckily for the reigning champion, he had already laid down a fast lap and will still the race from 4th.
With the rain continuing to pour, more and more riders were falling, with turn 1 looking especially tricky. That included Alex Marquez and Luca Marini. The multiple yellow flags that were out for the final 3 minutes meant that no riders were able to improve on their lap times.
The final rider to fall in qualifying was provisional pole sitter, Marco Bezzecchi. His bike ended up looking like scrap but, again due to the resulting yellow flags, no one was able to beat his pole lap time of 2:15.359.
The first full day of action saw some real drama on the quick stages of Finland. The world champion would open the road throughout the day, courtesy of being the championship leader. The crews faced 108km’s over nine stages in total with the usual four stages being rerun in the afternoon and the second run of Harju which was the opener yesterday evening. The early top three from Thursday evening stage, was Ott, Thierry and Kalle.
First up then, SS2 Laukaa 1 – 11.78 km and Takamoto was fastest from Elfyn and Kalle. What a great stage from the Japanese star! There were a few changes in the leaderboard with Kalle moving into the lead from Ott, just four tenths of a second between the top two, with Elfyn on the same overall time as the Estonian. It was Thierry who fell a couple of places and was just half a second ahead of Takamoto as they fought for fourth overall.
The next one, SS3 Lankamaa 1 – 14.21 km was where we saw the first bit of drama with Ott exiting the stage after an impact to the bottom of the engine and this saw the Puma lose power, The Estonian pair were out not only for the day, but it was later confirmed that they would not be re-joining for the remaining two days. It was a double whammy for M-Sport as well, with Pierre-Louis taking a wheel off his Puma. What a shame for the Cumbrian based team. Everyone gained a place apart from the two leaders Kalle and Elfyn who were separated by just 2.2 seconds. In WRC2 Sami was holding the lead from Jari, the gap even closer at 1.5 seconds.
WRC – World Rally Championship 2023
The top three in SS4 Myhinpää 1 – 15.51 km was Kalle, Elfyn and Esapekka. The two top Hyundai crews were beginning to fight for the final spot on the podium, just 0.3 separating them at the end of this one. In WRC2 Sami was fastest from Emil and Adrien and there was a change in the top two, with Emil moving ahead into second, Jari dropping one place to third.
The final stage of the morning loop then, SS5 Halttula 1 – 9.14 km and Kalle was fastest again, but his teammate Elfyn was just three tenths down from the Finnish driver. Unfortunately, we lost EP in this one. The Finn ran wide and ended up hitting some trees, heavily damaging his i20. In WRC2 Andreas was fastest from Jari and Georg. Sami continued to lead the category from Jari who’d moved back into second pushing Emil back to third.
After the lunchtime service, SS6 Laukaa 2 – 11.78 km was won by Kalle from Takamoto and Teemu. Takamoto and Thierry now held third overall, 16 seconds from the lead. The returning Jari-Matti was learning a lot in his first drive of the GR Yaris Rally1 and having a lot of fun to boot! Sami continued to lead in WRC2 from Jari and Emil.
The second run of SS7 Lankamaa 2 – 14.21 km and again Kalle was fastest from Elfyn, just three tenths between them, and Takamoto third again. The Japanese star moved ahead of Thierry and into third overall. Jari was fastest in the WRC2 category from Sami and Nikolay who moved up into third in the category.
Into SS8 Myhinpää 2 – 15.51 km and there was drama for the world champions as Kalle and Jonne rolled their GR Yaris! Thierry won the stage from Elfyn and Takamoto with the result that the Belgian moved into second overall. Elfyn deserved to lead the rally after the exit of his teammate, the gap between him and Thierry now 10.9 seconds. Sami was still the leader of WRC2 from Jari and Nikolay.
2023 FIA World Rally Championship Round 9, Rally Finland 3 – 6 August 2023 Thierry Neuville Photographer: Austral Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
The penultimate stage of the day, the final proper stage of Friday and Thierry was fastest from Takamoto and Elfyn, the Toyota teammates setting the same time. Elfyn’s lead remained a very strong 9.7 seconds. There was a change in WRC2 though with Jari moving into the lead of the category and Sami dropping down to second place.
The final stage then of the day, SS10 Harju 2 – 3.48 km and Takamoto set the early pace before Thierry and then Elfyn came through and went first and second fastest. It is well known the Belgian likes the small super special stages and Elfyn not so much. The gap was trimmed a little to 6.9 seconds between the top two.
Let’s take a look at the top positions and hear from the drivers.
Classification after Day One
1
E. Evans
S. Martin
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid
51:34.4
2
T. Neuville
M. Wydaeghe
Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
+6.9
3
T. Katsuta
A. Johnston
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid
+16.4
4
T. Suninen
M. Marrkula
Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
+28.8
5
J. M. Latvala
J. Hänninen
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid
+1:23.7
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Elfyn Evans
“We had a good start this morning, quite clean with no big mistakes. It was pretty fast-paced out there and there were a few small places where we could have been better, which can be frustrating when the gaps are only a few tenths of a second on each stage. It was quite wet on and off during the day and grip was not so high, but I generally enjoyed it in the car. The conditions caught a few people out, and unfortunately Kalle was also one of those. He was doing a great job and I was sorry to see him go out that way. There’s still a long way to go, and although tomorrow should be a drier day, we could still be in for some slippery conditions.”
Takamoto Katsuta
“We started very well this morning with the stage win in Laukaa. I like that stage, but the beginning section was new, so I was not sure how the time would be. But I felt very good with the car and we had a good run. Then in the following stages I was a bit too careful and losing quite a bit of time. The conditions this afternoon especially were very tricky and changing a lot. But overall, I’m quite happy as we’re still pretty close to the top positions. Hopefully we can continue like this tomorrow and try to push a bit more, but it will be a big day and a big challenge.”
Jari-Matti Latvala
“It’s been a great day in the car. I could never have imagined that we could be fifth overall after Friday. We haven’t been so fast, but I tried to keep everything under control and have a good rhythm. We have been about six tenths of a second per kilometre from the fastest guys, which is better than I expected, so I’m really happy with that. It’s an amazing feeling driving this car. Some of the stages have been really nice, and some of the conditions have been really difficult. We’ve not had this kind of Rally Finland with such variable conditions for a very long time. Hopefully tomorrow we can continue having a really nice experience.”
Kalle Rovanperä
“The day was going well. We had a good morning loop as the first car on the road, and it was a nice fight with Elfyn. We could be a little bit quicker without over pushing. The way we crashed was quite unfortunate and I feel like I couldn’t have done much more in this corner. Under braking, the speed felt fine, but as first car in the mud we had a big slide. Even with full lock steering I couldn’t straighten the car, and in the ditch, we hit something hard which sent us flying. It’s definitely a pity for the team and for the fans that we are out of the fight like this. Hopefully the car is OK, and we can get back out there tomorrow.”
Hyundai Motorsport
Thierry Neuville
“Now we have no choice; Kalle, one of our main contenders, is out, and Elfyn is also in front of us in the championship. We are fighting for a victory, and we are going to go for it. The day was good; I don’t think I have been in a position to fight for a win in Finland before. It was very challenging, lots of grip changes but we kept it all under control. We worked a bit on the car to find more speed, but we could see the Toyotas were faster. We had to keep our rhythm and make no mistakes. Tomorrow, we’re going to push even harder.”
Teemu Suninen
“I’m quite happy with today; it’s been super tricky conditions with the rain and the grip changes, but I have been comfortable with the car and managed to stay close to the front. I’ve been missing a little bit of pace, but I think if we can push to the limit then we can find it. This afternoon I was nearly flat out on the first two stages and set some good times; step by step I am improving my driving. The dream to get a podium is still alive but I need to have a good day tomorrow.”
2023 FIA World Rally Championship Round 09, Rally Finland 02-05 August 2023 Teemu Suninen, Mikko Markkula, Hyundai i20 N Rally 1 Photographer: Dufour Fabien Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Esapekka Lappi
“Physically, everything is ok; a swollen ankle for me but no broken bones. The accident was a pace note mistake, I was too optimistic for the right-hand corner, we were too fast, and we went into the trees. The information from my side was wrong when we did the recce. To be honest, I wanted to be closer to the lead of the rally, so I wasn’t overly satisfied with how our day was going. It is a shame we are unable to re-join the rally for the rest of the event, but the main thing is both Janne and myself, are fine. I am really sorry for the team and the Finnish fans as this was the rally, I was most looking forward to and I was eager get a strong result. We now look forward to Greece and hopefully return to the good feeling we had earlier in the season.”
Summary
Well, what an amazing first day. Lots of drama out there. What does Saturday hold? Well, there are 160km’s over eight stages. Elfyn will want to hit the ground running and look to build on his lead. Can Thierry fight back and take the lead? It will be interesting to watch and find out.
The championship continues with the ninth round of this season. Kalle and Jonne lead the race for the title and have a 55-point lead over their teammates Elfyn and Scott. This will be the 72nd time that this event is run.
In terms of the challenge facing the crews this year there are 320km’s over 22 stages. The longest day is Saturday with 160km’s over eight stages. The action starts on Friday with the short 3.5km Harju stage.
Let’s take a look at the stages and hear from the drivers.
After shakedown on Thursday morning, Rally Finland begins with the fan-favourite 3.48km Harju 1 Super Special Stage.
Friday’s nine-stage itinerary opens with the 11.78km Laukaa stage and closes with the second attempt of the Harju super special stage.
Saturday features fewer stages yet the longest competitive distance, totalling 160.68km across two loops of Västilä, Päijälä, Rapsula and Vekkula.
Sunday will round up the rally with 54.61km and four stages, with the second run of Himos-Jämsä acting as the event’s Power Stage.
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Kalle Rovanperä
“Our home rally always feels a bit different to every other rally, especially because it’s in our hometown and because it’s a home rally for the team as well. So, there’s always more excitement and huge support from all the fans and I want to try my best to win it if we can. At the same time, we have to be clever with the championship in mind, not to waste the lead that we’ve built. Starting first on the road in Finland, it’s never easy to match the speed of the quick drivers starting behind us or catch up the time afterwards: last year we lost around 20 seconds on Friday and gained almost 15 seconds back over the rest of the rally. But let’s see what we can do this year.”
Elfyn Evans
“Rally Finland is certainly a highlight of the season, especially for the local drivers but also for myself. I always enjoy the event and I’m looking forward to it. There’s no feeling quite like driving on the Finnish rally roads, and if you can be at one with your car then I think nothing can match that in terms of enjoyment behind the wheel. I wasn’t completely satisfied in Estonia but Finland is not exactly the same: there are some different characteristics and a different setup can be required. Our testing in Finland this week is giving us a good chance to prepare and make sure we start the rally with the right setup, which is crucial.”
Takamoto Katsuta
“Rally Finland is a very special rally and one that I always look forward to. I think of it like my second home rally as I pretty much grew up as a rally driver on Finnish roads. The speeds are similar to Estonia, but the feeling is totally different, because the grip from the road is usually very high. I want to improve on my speed from the last rally, and I could use my test day this week to try and understand what didn’t work for me in Estonia and to find a good car setup for the Finnish roads. I will try to enjoy the rally and push as much as I can. It’s important to get a good result for the team, for myself and my family who will be there watching too.”
Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)
“Rally Finland is always a special occasion for our team. For me it’s going to be an extra-special feeling this year to get back behind the wheel on a WRC event, and my aim as a driver will be first and foremost to enjoy that experience. The team’s target as always is to win and the focus for that is with our regular crews. There will be fantastic support for Kalle and Jonne as world champions and championship leaders, and the victory in Estonia gives them a good boost. I think Rally Finland could be a bigger challenge, with different grip levels and returning stages like Myhinpää that Kalle hasn’t driven before. Elfyn meanwhile knows what it takes to win in Finland, and we hope that he can challenge again, and also that Taka can drive with confidence on roads he usually enjoys. We can expect a close-fought rally and the team has been working hard in testing this week to give our drivers the best car possible.”
Hyundai Motorsport
Thierry Neuville
“Fighting for the podium in Finland will be important in terms of the championship, but it’s going to be tough. Finland is always difficult to predict; during the recce, you never really know what the actual speed will be when you arrive at certain points in your rally car, but my experience over the past years will help. Tyre choice here is very easy: only the soft tyre works, even when the temperatures are higher, because the wear isn’t that high here. You need lots of precision and protection in the car for all of the landings. The competition will be fierce. Most of them are Scandinavian drivers, so they will be hard to beat, but we are feeling confident in ourselves and the car following our podium in Estonia.”
Esapekka Lappi
“I would love to win this weekend in Finland. Regardless of the result, the atmosphere is exactly what you want to have in front of your home crowd – it’s very special. Rally Finland is an event with a lot of crests and jumps and normally quite high grip, and it is famous for the incredible speed. To prepare for the rally we have to do some endurance training, but we also need some muscle to keep our spines alive because the landings are really hard on some jumps! We had some good fights in Estonia with our competitors, and I hope we can be in the mix again – hopefully in front of them – in Finland next weekend.”
2023 FIA World Rally Championship Round 8, Rally Estonia 20 – 23 July 2023 Teemu Suninen Photographer: Austral Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Teemu Suninen
“Rally Finland is probably my favourite rally and this year it’s going to be really interesting for us. I will take the good experience from Estonia to help prepare for Rally Finland. Almost all of the corners are over crests at least, if not jumps, and it’s an amazing feeling when the car feels like it is flying every second corner. Maintaining focus will be a bit challenging because there is always something happening, so we basically have double pace notes. It’s a lot of information coming from the co-driver as we have to be really focused and precise. I was really happy with what we achieved in Estonia, which has given me confidence we can continue to progress in Finland and make a step towards my teammates.”
M-Sport Ford WRT
Ott Tänak
“Finland generally is much more demanding event than Estonia. I’ve enjoyed driving there in the past and we have had some great performances in Finland before. Estonia was very tough, and we couldn’t score points we needed from there unfortunately, but we still produced some good pace.
“Our focus is to find best possible feeling from Rally Finland shakedown and then we just push for the best possible result over the weekend!”
Pierre-Louis Loubet
“I am happy to continue on to my third rally in three weeks, it’s been a busy July! But it’s given me a lot of driving time and I think we are well prepared for Finland. We drove in very hard conditions at the weekend in Tampere, and we are ready to take on Rally Finland. The target is to do a bit better than in Estonia, stay a bit closer to Ott in terms of pace and continue our progress in the car.”
WRC2 Category
Oliver Solberg
“This rally is a special one for everybody,” said Oliver. “It’s really special for our family – I grew up watching my dad’s record-breaking run through Ouninpohja, it’s still one of the coolest places to go on YouTube!
“It’s the kind of event which goes beyond the stages; rallying is kind of a way of life in Finland and especially in Jyväskylä. Anybody who knows me knows that rallying is my way of life – so you can imagine I’m really excited about this week.
“It’s fair to say my first two attempts at this event haven’t gone completely to plan,” he said. “I didn’t finish the stages and that’s what I need to do this time. I need to get through the rally and understand more about things like the evolution of the road from the first to the second pass.
“It would be nice to win more stages this week, but the main thing is to leave with a really good understanding of Rally Finland. It’s an event which demands specific things from the car – for example you need good lateral grip as much as you need commitment and perfect pacenotes. That’s what me and Elliott [Edmondson, co-driver] are working on this week.”
Adrien Fourmaux
“Finland is a very fast, soft gravel rally, the stages are beautiful and it’s really nice to drive. It’s a nice surprise for me to be here, it wasn’t originally on my programme, so I’m taking it as a nice gift after a good start to the season! I really want to enjoy this rally and the experience of being in Finland again.
“Our BRC outings are really helping with our confidence as well as development of the car, which is all good for the WRC2 campaign. The goal for Finland is to take this experience and try to be in the fight for the podium, so we’ll see where we can be. It’ll be my first time in Finland in the Rally2, so it will be interesting and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Grégoire Munster
“Our victory in Estonia in JWRC will be a big help to us in Finland, the roads are quite similar and quite fast. It was good preparation to get in the rhythm for roads that we aren’t so familiar with. There is a really strong competitor field in Finland, with lots of local, specialist drivers. It will be challenging but we’re aiming for a good result, hopefully we can show some good speed against those guys who know these roads so well.”
Summary
Well, what an iconic rally that we are awaiting the start for. The question is, who will fight at the front? It’s hard to look past the Finns that will be competing. 2017 winner, Esapekka will certainly be on the pace and given his starting position as well, will be winning stages. However, Thierry who showed really surprising pace in Estonia and led early on. Can he and Martijn show the same pace that they did in Estonia? Of course, Hyundai won this rally last year with Ott and Martin when they were there.
However, Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport team will hope that having former Rally Finland winners Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja in one of their Puma Rally1 cars will lead to a great result. They certainly showed great pace in Estonia last time out and will be on the pace, I am sure! With their teammates, Pierre-Louis and Nicolas Gilsoul, the young Frenchman will be looking to show great pace and understand the unique nature of these stages.
Finally at Toyota, Jari-Matti will sit in an extra car, whilst Kalle, Elfyn and Takamoto go for the top times. The Welshman only has to think back three years to this rally when he and Scott took a brilliant result. They could repeat that result this weekend, and I know a certain group of fans that would be really happy with that. Takamoto could get a really good result here. It is well known that he has lived in Finland for some years and could deliver a really good performance.
