Kalle Rovanpera took charge of the 2024 Rally Finland on Friday, navigating through a chaotic day filled with incidents which saw several retirements.
Reigning world champion Kalle Rovanpera showcased his remarkable driving skills during the opening leg of the 2024 Rally Finland, maintaining a commanding lead despite a day filled with incidents and challenging conditions which saw frontrunners retire.
The Toyota driver faced a tough morning but managed to regain his footing as the day progressed. His performance on the Ruuhimäki stage was particularly impressive, allowing him to reclaim the lead from Elfyn Evans, who had briefly taken the advantage earlier in the day.
By the end of the first day, the Finn had established an 8.0-second advantage over his closest competitor, Evans, after winning four out of the eight special stages.
However, the day was marred by significant incidents that impacted several drivers. Ott Tanak, a strong contender, became the first major retirement of the rally after crashing out on the Saarikas stage. His Hyundai tipped over and came to rest on its side after losing control and hitting a tree.
Although Tanak emerged uninjured, his co-driver, Martin Järveoja, was taken to the hospital for precautionary checks, highlighting the risks involved in rally racing.
Takamoto Katsuta also faced a tough day after struggling with performance and describing his driving as “embarrassing,” before he collided with a tree on the Ruuhimäki stage, damaging his Toyota. Despite completing the stage, he ultimately had to retire from the rally due to the extent of the damage, marking a disappointing end to his hopes in the event.
Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi was another casualty, retiring after hitting a tree on a rutted stage. His exit from the rally added to the day’s challenges for the competitors, illustrating the treacherous nature of the Finnish terrain.
Elfyn Evans, who initially set the pace on the Laukaa stage, had a competitive day, momentarily taking the lead after the Myhinpää stage. However, he struggled with understeering issues, which hampered his performance. Evans described his experience on the stages as “a bit clumsy,” but remained in contention, finishing the day in second place, just behind Rovanpera.
Eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier was third as championship leader Thierry Neuville marked the sole remaining Hyundai in fourth. However, Neuville had a tumultuous day as well, after starting as the first car on the road, he faced challenging conditions and struggled with his car’s differential settings.
The Belgian described his first stage as a “disaster” and later experienced a significant overshoot on SS3, which cost him valuable time. By the end of the day, he found himself in fifth place, 13.9 seconds off the lead, reflecting on the difficulties he faced throughout the stages.
Sami Pajari, making his Rally1 debut, also encountered a series of challenges, including a spin and a collision that left his car without a rear wing. He noted the significant difference in handling without the rear wing, describing the experience as “extremely tricky”.
Despite these setbacks, the Toyota driver remained determined to continue, showcasing the resilience required in rally racing and ultimately grabbed the headlines by recording a maiden WRC stage win in only his ninth test in the premier category.
Pajari enters Saturday in sixth place, splitting M-Sport-Ford’s duo Adrien Formaux and Gregoire Munster who currently rank fifth and seventh respectively.
Meanwhile in WRC2, Oliver Solberg remains in the lead after a commanding day aboard his Skoda, 21.3s ahead of Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala.
Latvala proved the spark is still there with an impressive display in his GR Yaris Rally2, although judging the battle was difficult given he was running half an hour behind Solberg in the running order.
2022 Junior WRC champion Robert Virves is third in a skoda, while Gus Greensmith crashed out of seventh place and basically ended his fading hopes of claiming this year’s WRC2 title.
