Ogier Clinches Rally of Finland After Rovanperä's Costly Mistake

Posted : 06 August 2024

Eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier capitalized on an error from his Toyota teammate Kalle Rovanperä to secure victory at the Rally of Finland on Sunday. Rovanperä, the defending champion, had a commanding lead of 45.8 seconds going into the penultimate stage and was poised to become the first Finn in seven years to win the rally. However, the 23-year-old's hopes were dashed when he clipped a rock, causing his car to roll and ending his chances of victory.

Ogier, competing in Finland for the first time since 2021, took advantage of Rovanperä's misfortune to claim his 61st WRC win. Hyundai's Thierry Neuville finished in second place, 40.1 seconds behind Ogier, while Ford's Adrien Fourmaux completed the podium. Despite his triumph, Ogier expressed mixed feelings about the win, acknowledging the unfortunate circumstances that led to his victory. He empathized with Rovanperä and his co-driver Jonne Halttunen, who were unlucky to hit the rock, comparing it to his own bad luck in Sardinia earlier in the season.

Thierry Neuville now leads the championship standings with 166 points, 28 points ahead of Ogier, who, like Rovanperä, is only participating in a limited number of rallies this season. Neuville benefited from the retirement of his main title rivals in Finland. His Hyundai teammate Ott Tänak, who was in second place in the standings before the race, suffered a severe accident on Friday, resulting in his co-driver being taken to the hospital for observation. Tänak's crash left him unable to add to his 137 points, dropping him to third in the standings. Welsh driver Elfyn Evans of Toyota also faced difficulties, encountering transmission problems on Saturday and ultimately retiring in the penultimate stage, leaving him with no points from Finland and in fourth place with 132 points.

Neuville described the weekend as an emotional rollercoaster, emphasizing the strategic approach taken by his team, knowing it would be challenging to compete with the Toyotas. With the issues faced by his teammates, Neuville focused on securing points for the championship. Hyundai now leads the manufacturers' championship by 20 points ahead of Toyota. The next WRC event is the Acropolis Rally in Greece, scheduled for early September.

Ogier Clinches Rally of Finland After Rovanperä's Costly Mistake

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