Day 1 kicked off with the classic Harju stage, where Hyundai’s Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville stormed into P1 and P2, closely followed by Sébastien Ogier in third. But Day 2 flipped the script: hometown hero Kalle Rovanperä came alive, surging to the lead while Tänak’s hard charge ended in heartbreak after a head-on collision with a tree — dropping him out of contention.
As the gravel dust settled on Day 2, Kalle led the pack, with Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux fighting fiercely for the podium. Katsuta’s off-road scare pushed him to P4, and Tänak languished in 10th.
Day 3 started dramatically: Tänak’s five-minute penalty shook the leaderboard, giving Elfyn Evans a shot. Rookie sensation Sami Pajari fought bravely but lost ground to the veterans. Torrential rain ahead of the afternoon loop made grip and visibility a nightmare — Martin Sesks even resorted to his co-driver’s legs to clear a fogged windscreen!
Kalle Rovanperä proved untouchable as Neuville and Fourmaux’s punctures dashed their hopes, dropping them over 90 seconds and paving the way for Katsuta and Ogier to slot into second and third. By day’s end, Toyota locked out positions 1 through 5 — a commanding display heading into Super Sunday’s decisive Power Stage.
With SS20 looming, all eyes are on whether Hyundai can claw back Super Sunday points or if Toyota will seal an emphatic home victory. Neuville’s championship hopes now hang by a thread after a disastrous weekend.
Stay tuned — Super Sunday promises fireworks at Rally Finland!
Rally Fanatics 
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