Sébastien Ogier extended his advantage at Secto Rally Finland after a thrilling Friday through the fast and flowing gravel roads that make the event one of the highlights of the WRC. Nine demanding special stages delivered spectacular action, with huge jumps, narrow forest roads and several dramatic incidents reshaping the leaderboard.
Ogier and Julien Ingrassia made the most of their experience to control the rally from the front. The French duo were consistently among the quickest crews throughout the day, claiming three stage victories and setting the benchmark on Finland’s iconic roads. Their pace allowed them to maintain the overall lead heading into Saturday despite constant pressure from the chasing pack.
Toyota enjoyed a dominant Friday, winning all but two of the day’s stages and occupying the top four positions overnight. Elfyn Evans emerged as Ogier’s closest challenger after a day-long battle in which the positions behind the leader changed repeatedly. Home favourite Sami Pajari delighted the Finnish fans by ending the leg in third place, while Oliver Solberg continued his impressive form to secure fourth. Mārtiņš Sesks completed the top five, with Adrien Fourmaux leading Hyundai’s charge in sixth after dropping from third position after the heavy rain made an appearance.
Friday also proved costly for several drivers as Rally Finland once again demonstrated how little margin for error exists on its ultra-fast roads. The first major incident came on SS3 when Jon Armstrong slid into a ditch, ending his challenge early. One stage later, Esapekka Lappi’s hopes of a strong result on home soil disappeared after a heavy rollover. The damage to his car’s roll cage forced an immediate retirement, bringing a disappointing end to his rally in front of the home crowd.
Thierry Neuville also endured a difficult afternoon. The Belgian hit a bank outside over a crest and the front left wheel was broken on SS5, dropping more than one minute and 45 seconds. His problems were compounded by a 20-second penalty for arriving late at the following time control, leaving the Hyundai driver with a significant deficit to recover over the remainder of the weekend. However, he managed to finish Friday on a positive with the last stage win of the day.
With Ogier leading an all-Toyota top four and several rivals already out of contention, Saturday promises another intense battle on the high-speed Finnish stages as crews continue the fight for victory at Secto Rally Finland.
Friday standings
- 1. Sébastien Ogier — 1:03:47.4
- 2. Elfyn Evans — 1:04:03.7
- 3. Sami Pajari — 1:04:14.1
- 4. Oliver Solberg — 1:04:28.7
- 5. Mārtiņš Sesks — 1:04:52.3
- 6. Adrien Fourmaux — 1:05:11.4
- 7. Josh McErlean — 1:06:16.4
- 8. Takamoto Katsuta — 1:06:18.1
- 9. Thierry Neuville — 1:06:43.6
- 10. Robert Virves — 1:06:56.1
