As the WRC circus landed in Jyväskylä, expectations were sky-high for Secto Rally Finland—a rally synonymous with speed, jumps, and the ultimate test of bravery. Fans flocked to the forests hoping to see home hero Kalle Rovanperä finally clinch victory on his home turf.
And he delivered in spectacular fashion.
Kalle Rovanperä stormed to a massive win, propelling himself to second place in the championship standings with 173 points, just behind Elfyn Evans at 176, and ahead of Sébastien Ogier on 163 points. Hyundai’s Ott Tänak shares 163 points with Ogier, while Thierry Neuville trails at 125 points—a calamity for Tänak after his stellar performance in Estonia unraveled in Finland.
It was a Toyota whitewash, with the top five positions locked out by the Japanese squad. Takamoto Katsuta shone with a career-best second place, while Ogier sealed third to complete the podium:
Secto Rally Finland Top Results:
- Kalle Rovanperä
- Takamoto Katsuta
- Sébastien Ogier
Hyundai’s Finnish Frustration
It was far from a dream weekend for Hyundai. Despite strong starts, the team was plagued by misfortunes and mechanical issues. Thierry Neuville could only salvage sixth place after a puncture cost him dearly on Day 3. Ott Tänak’s hopes were dashed following a crash and a five-minute penalty that pushed him down to 10th. Adrien Fourmaux’s rally ended in disappointment with a DNF after going off.
This dominant result cements Toyota’s stronghold in the manufacturers’ championship, underlining their superiority on fast gravel rallies. Finland once again proved to be the fastest rally on the WRC calendar, averaging an eye-watering 129.95 kph.
💬 Rovanperä:
“Quite an amazing feeling. Obviously we have been close a few times here and I just felt we really needed to do it this year. Big thanks to everyone at the workshop for doing a great job with the car. We really worked hard for this one, I was driving really on the limit this weekend and really pushing a lot. We really needed the points and it was good at the end.”
In WRC2, Roope Korhonen and Anssi Viinikka secured a breakthrough victory on home soil by just 1.1 seconds over Jari-Matti Latvala and Janni Hussi—an instant classic battle that thrilled Finnish fans.
Adding intrigue, Sébastien Ogier confirmed he will contest Rally Paraguay on August 28, setting up a crucial battle for points as the championship intensifies.
What does Toyota’s 1-2-3 in Kalle’s home country mean for Hyundai and Ford? The answer is simple: the remaining rallies will be a high-stakes sprint. Hyundai and M-Sport must regroup and push to claw back points if they hope to disrupt Toyota’s charge to both titles.
Stay tuned to RallyFanatics.com for more updates, exclusive interviews, and in-depth analysis as the 2025 WRC season races toward a thrilling conclusion!
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