Sébastien Ogier claimed a surprise Secto Rally Finland victory on Sunday after his Toyota GAZOO Racing team-mate Kalle Rovanperä rolled out of the lead on the event’s penultimate stage.

Nikolay Gryazin (BUL) Konstantin Aleksandrov (BUL) are seen performing during the World Rally Championship Finland in Jyvasküla, Finland on 1,August. 2024 Photo By Jaanus Ree for Red Bull Content Pool

Rovanperä had led for almost every kilometre of this four-day gravel fixture and looked set to end Finland’s seven-year wait for a native winner, with a 45.8sec advantage going into the rally’s penultimate stage. However, it all went wrong for the 23-year-old when he clipped a rogue rock, pushing his GR Yaris Rally1 off the line and into a rally-ending roll.

Competitor are seen performing during the World Rally Championship Finland in Jyvasküla, Finland on 3,August. 2024 Photo By Jaanus Ree for Red Bull Content Pool

The same stage had earlier served up further drama when Rovanperä’s colleague, Elfyn Evans, also left the road while chasing down Super Sunday points to make up for a broken driveshaft on Friday.

Kalle Rovanperä (FIN) Jonne Halttunen (FIN) Of team TOYOTA GAZOO RACING WRT are seen performing during the World Rally Championship Finland in Jyvasküla, Finland on 3,August. 2024 Photo By Jaanus Ree for Red Bull Content Pool

On his first Finnish outing since 2021, Ogier was on hand to pick up the pieces and took his 61st WRC victory by 40.1sec from Hyundai i20 N Rally1 driver Thierry Neuville. Adrien Fourmaux, driving a Puma Rally1 for M-Sport Ford, filled the final podium spot 34.0sec further back.

“It’s hard to smile right now. A win in Finland is always nice, but this is not the way we like to have it. Very sorry for Kalle and Jonne, they were unlucky with the stone and it’s a shame for them. We were unlucky in Sardinia and lost in the last stage, but we are lucky here. That’s motorsport.”

Ogier admitted

Today’s events have shaken up the driver’s championship standings with Ogier now up to second despite missing three rallies earlier this year. After Friday retiree Ott Tänak and Evans both scored zero, the pair dropped to third and fourth respectively.

Adrien Fourmaux (FRA) and Alex Coria (FRA) competing at FIA World Rally Championship Finland in Jyväskylä, Finland on 4 August 2024. Photo By @World for Red Bull Content Pool

But it was Neuville who was the biggest winner in terms of the title race. Having arrived to Finland with an eight-point lead, the Belgian’s buffer now stands at 27 points after round nine of 13 while his Hyundai Motorsport team increased its lead over Toyota in the manufacturers’ championship to 20.

“It was a real rollercoaster of emotions this weekend. We had a clever approach this weekend knowing it was hard to fight with the Toyotas. After our team’s issues (Tänak and Esapekka Lappi both crashing on Friday), we knew we had to bring the points home.”

he said

Fourmaux’s third-place result marked his fourth podium of the season. The Frenchman trailed Neuville by 34.0sec at the final control, with Sami Pajari’s Toyota 40.0sec behind.

Thierry Neuville (BEL) and Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL) competing at FIA World Rally Championship Finland in Jyväskylä, Finland on 4 August 2024. Photo By @World for Red Bull Content Pool

Pajari, along with co-driver Enni Mälkönen, delivered an impressive drive on his top-flight debut. After a rocky start to the rally, which included two spins resulting in rear wing damage on Friday, the Finnish pair claimed their first-ever WRC stage win at Ruuhimäki on Saturday.

Sébastien Ogier (FRA) and Vincent Landais (FRA) competing at FIA World Rally Championship Finland in Jyväskylä, Finland on 4 August 2024. Photo By @World for Red Bull Content Pool

Rally2 machinery filled the remainder of the top 10. Oliver Solberg won the WRC2 category and placed fifth overall ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala, Lauri Joona, Mikko Heikkilä, Nikolay Gryazin and Georg Linnamäe.

The action continues on gravel next month with the legendary EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, based in Lamia from 5 – 8 September.

Overall Classification:
1. S Ogier / V Landais FRA Toyota GR Yaris 2h 25m 41.9s
2. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N +40.1s
3. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Ford Puma +1m 14.1s
4. S Pajari / E Mälkönen FIN Toyota GR Yaris +1m 54.5s
5. O Solberg / E Edmondson SWE Škoda Fabia (WRC2) +8m 15.5s
6. J-M Latvala / J Hänninen FIN Toyota GR Yaris (WRC2) +8m 54.5s

Sebastien Ogier (FRA) Vincent Landais (FRA) Of team TOYOTA GAZOO RACING WRT celebrate on the podium in first place after winning the World Rally Championship in Jyvasküla, Finland on 4.08.24 with Thierry Neuville (BEL) Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL) Of team HYUNDAI SHELL MOBIS WORLD RALLY TEAM second place and Adrien Fourmaux (FRA) Alexandre Coria (FRA) Of team M-SPORT FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM third place Photo By Jaanus Ree for Red Bull Content Pool

Drivers’ championship standings (after round 9 of 13):
1. T Neuville 168
2. S Ogier 141
3. O Tänak 137

Kurhula David Ngobeni

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