Neste Rally Finland is one of the all-time classics on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar, where fearless and, at times, blind commitment rewards the bravest. The event, one of the quickest in the series, presents blisteringly fast smooth gravel roads, but it is the massive stomach-churning jumps and blind crests that characterise what is affectionately known as the Finnish Grand Prix. 

The ‘1000 Lakes Rally’, as it was originally termed, dates back to 1951, when it was launched as a means of deciding the Finnish entries for Rallye Monte-Carlo. It first ran in the WRC in its inaugural season in 1973 and has been staged each year since, largely dominated by Finnish drivers who have won 55 of the 67 editions.

The hard-packed gravel roads provide a mix of wide and flowing, narrow and more technical sections and, such is their smooth nature, mechanical issues are rare. It is an event where writing and delivering pace notes is even more critical as blind crests often hide the following corners and knowing where to position the car before these jumps is a real art form. As is mastering the ‘normal’ jumps to ensure the car doesn’t take off like an aeroplane.

As the series moves into its second half, Thierry Neuville heads the Championship standings by 27 points, the Belgian going into round eight with a lead bigger than any advantage anyone has held over multiple FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier in the last five years. Both have three wins apiece this season, with third-placed Ott Tänak the only other driver to have won an event. His team-mate Esapekka Lappi, fourth in the standings, will doubtless be looking to repeat his stunning performance of 2017, where he claimed his maiden WRC win on home soil. Hyundai heads the Manufacturers’ Championship standings, and all four makes will be fielding three-car entries in Finland, Khalid Al Qassimi also joining Mads Østberg and Craig Breen in the Citroën squad. The FIA WRC 2 Championship category has an impressive 18 entries and as series frontrunners Pontus Tidemand and Jan Kopecky will not be competing, their rivals will be looking to close the gap in the title fight. In its penultimate round, 15 crews make up the FIA Junior WRC Championship field, with a further three solely in the similar two-wheel drive FIA WRC 3 Championship category.

Five stages will be broadcast live on television: both runs through Harju (SS1 and SS11), SS17 on Saturday and the two Ruuhimäki stages on Sunday, the second counting as the Power Stage. All stages are however available live on WRC All Live on the WRC+ platform. 

ROUTE GRAPHICS

THE 2018 ROUTE

A fresh-look Rally Finland awaits the FIA World Rally Championship contenders; almost 65% of this year’s route is different to last year and just one stage - Pihlajakoski - is the same. A new shakedown - Vesala - kicks off the action on Thursday, preceding the slightly amended Harju street stage in Jyväskylä that evening. Crews head west of the rally base on Friday for nine forest stages before returning to the city for another run through Harju. Ässämäki (SS4/9) is totally new while Äänekoski (SS5/10) runs in the opposite direction this year. Saturday, around Jämsä, is a big day covering nearly 143 competitive kilometres over two loops of four stages spanning a 16-hour period. Sunday is by far the shortest day of the event but no less demanding. Two runs through two classic stages – Ruuhimäki and Laukaa, which runs in reverse this year, rounding out the action. Ruuhimäki has been used as the shakedown in previous years and its stomach-churning jumps will now play host to the all-important Power Stage.

RALLY DATA

MEDIA ACCREDITATION

The Accreditation Centre is located at Rakentajantalo, Hannikaisenkatu 17, 40100 Jyväskylä. The opening hours are:

RALLY FINLAND TIMETABLE AND MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES ORGANISED BY THE FIA

FIA PRESS CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE

MANUFACTURER ENTRIES, RALLY FINLAND

ADDITIONAL MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES 

Autograph Signing Session: On Friday and Saturday selected crews will be available for a 15 minute autograph session. This will take place in the service park during the end of day service at the teams’ service areas. 

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS

The provisional classifications for all the WRC Championships can be found on the following link:

www.fia.com/events/world-rally-championship/season-2018/standings

STAGE CHART

Shortly after the finish of the event, a downloadable stage chart showing the progressive positions of the leading crews during the rally will be available. This is copyright free for editorial purposes and available at the following link:

www.fia.com/events/world-rally-championship/season-2018/stage-chart-6