The 2018 Rally Finland (formally known as the Neste Rally Finland 2018) was a motor racing event for rally cars that held over four days between 26 and 29 July 2018.[1] It marked the sixty-eighth running of Rally Finland, and was the eighth round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship and its support categories, the WRC-2 and WRC-3 championships, and the fourth round of the Junior WRC championship.[2][3] The event was based in Jyväskylä in Central Finland and consisted of twenty-three special stages totalling 317.26 km (197.14 mi) in competitive kilometres.[4]
| 2018 Rally Finland 68th Neste Rally Finland | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Round 8 of 13 in the 2018 World Rally Championship
| |||
 | |||
| Host country |  Finland | ||
| Rally base | Jyväskylä, Keski-Suomi | ||
| Dates run | 26 – 29 July 2018 | ||
| Start location | Jyväskylä, Keski-Suomi | ||
| Finish location | Ruuhimäki, Toivakka | ||
| Stages | 23 (317.26 km; 197.14 miles) | ||
| Stage surface | Gravel | ||
| Transport distance | 1,110.23 km (689.86 miles) | ||
| Overall distance | 1,427.49 km (887.00 miles) | ||
| Statistics | |||
| Crews registered | 72 | ||
| Crews | 67 at start, 51 at finish | ||
| Overall results | |||
| Overall winner |  Ott Tänak Martin Järveoja Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2:35:18.1 | ||
| Power Stage winner | Ott Tänak Martin Järveoja Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT | ||
| Support category results | |||
| WRC-2 winner | Eerik Pietarinen Juhana Raitanen TGS Worldwide 2:45:18.4 | ||
| WRC-3 winner | Ken Torn Kuldar Sikk OT Racing 3:03:07.2 | ||
Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm were the defending rally winners.[5] Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja were the rally winners. Their team, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, were the manufacturers' winners.[6] The TGS Worldwide crew of Eerik Pietarinen and Juhana Raitanen won the World Rally Championship-2 category in a Škoda Fabia R5, while Estonian crew Ken Torn and Kuldar Sikk won the World Rally Championship-3.[7][8]
Background edit
Championship standings prior to the event edit
Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul entered the round with a twenty-seven-point lead in the World Championship for Drivers and Co-drivers. In the World Championship for Manufacturers, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT held a twenty-eight-point lead over M-Sport Ford WRT.
Entry list edit
The following crews were entered into the rally. The event was opened to crews competing in the World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2, and the World Rally Championship-3. The final entry list consisted of twelve World Rally Car entries, eighteen in the World Rally Championship-2, and another eighteen entries in the World Rally Championship-3, fifteen of which were eligible to score points in the Junior World Rally Championship.
- Notes
- ^‡ — Driver and co-driver are eligible to score points in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship.
Report edit
Pre-event edit
Following Citroën's sacking of Kris Meeke,[10][11] the team promoted Mads Østberg and Torstein Eriksen to replace him and his co-driver Paul Nagle as lead drivers.[12]
Thursday edit
Ott Tänak, driving a Yaris, took a 0.7-second lead over championship leader Thierry Neuville, while defending world champion Sébastien Ogier was 0.1 second further behind. Andreas Mikkelsen was in fourth place in another Hyundai i20, another slender 0.1 second behind, while defending rally winner Esapekka Lappi was in fifth. Shakedown top two Mads Østberg and Craig Breen tied in sixth, followed by local Finn Jari-Matti Latvala. Hayden Paddon and Elfyn Evans cleared the stage in ninth and tenth respectively.
Friday edit
Friday witnessed a great fight between Ott Tänak, who drove a Yaris, and Mads Østberg, who drove a C3. After rally leader changed several times, the Estonian ended the day with a 5.8-second lead. Local Finn Jari-Matti Latvala completed the day in third, with Hayden Paddon led Hyundai in fourth position after Teemu Suninen fell back in the final stage of the day with brake issues in his Fiesta. Title contender Sébastien Ogier, who was second on the road, climbed up to sixth overall after Ford gave his teammate Elfyn Evans a team order, which ordered him to slow down in SS10 before reaching the finish line. Defending rally winner Esapekka Lappi, who stalled his car at the opening stage of the day, cleared the day in eighth place, while Craig Breen, who suffered an early puncture and a late fuel pressure issue, completed the day in ninth. Championship leader Thierry Neuville, who struggled for grip all the day due to being first on the road, completed the leaderboard. Teammate Andreas Mikkelsen finished down the order after rolling his i20.
Saturday edit
Saturday in Rally Finland was dominated by three Yarises. Ott Tänak, who stormed away with a 39-second over Mads Østberg, Jari-Matti Latvala, who closed the gap the Norwegian to only 5.4 seconds, and Esapekka Lappi, who climbed up four places after his effort, took all eight stage victories of the day to make Toyota a 1-3-4 finish. Hayden Paddon, who led Hyundai in fifth place, manage to stay ahead of local Finn Teemu Suninen despite brake problems and high tyre wear. Defending world champion Sébastien Ogier, who struggled to come to terms with new shock absorbers and an upgraded aerodynamic package, and teammate Elfyn Evans cleared the day in seventh and eighth respectively, while Craig Breen completed the day in ninth overall in another C3. Championship leader Thierry Neuville, who failed to make up yesterday's lost time, completed the leaderboard in tenth place.
Sunday edit
Ott Tänak took his second rally victory of the season with a Power Stage win in Finland to gain a maximum thirty points after a master-class performance.[13] Mads Østberg edged Jari-Matti Latvala by only 2.8 seconds to finish second overall. Hayden Paddon completed the rally in fourth place after defending rally winner Esapekka Lappi went off in SS20.[14] Sébastien Ogier climbed up to fifth place after Ford gave another team order to Teemu Suninen, who was ordered to check in late at a time control so that he was given a 20-second time penalty and dropped behind his five-time world champion teammate in sixth. Elfyn Evans finished in seventh in another Fiesta, followed by Craig Breen in eighth. Championship leader Thierry Neuville ended his rally ahead of his teammate Andreas Mikkelsen in ninth place. Despite an unsatisfied outcome, he still leads the championship by twenty-one points over the defending world champion.
Classification edit
Top ten finishers edit
The following crews finished the rally in each class's top ten.[a]
Other notable finishers edit
The following notable crews finished the rally outside top ten.[a]
Special stages edit
| Overall classification | |||||||
| Day | Stage | Name | Length | Winner | Car | Time | Class leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 July | — | Vesala [Shakedown] | 4.26 km |  Mads Østberg
|
Citroën C3 WRC | 1:54.8 | — |
| SS1 | Harju 1 | 2.31 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 1:49.2 | Ott Tänak
| |
| 27 July | SS2 | Moksi 1 | 20.04 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 9:56.1 | |
| SS3 | Urria 1 | 12.28 km | Jari-Matti Latvala
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 6:09.8 | ||
| SS4 | Ässämäki 1 | 12.33 km | Mads Østberg
|
Citroën C3 WRC | 5:49.1 | Mads Østberg
| |
| SS5 | Äänekoski 1 | 7.71 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 3:32.1 | Ott Tänak
| |
| SS6 | Oittila | 19.34 km | Mads Østberg
|
Citroën C3 WRC | 9:45.3 | Mads Østberg
| |
| SS7 | Moksi 2 | 20.04 km | Ott Tänak Mads Østberg
|
Toyota Yaris WRC Citroën C3 WRC |
9:49.3 | ||
| SS8 | Urria 2 | 12.28 km |  Craig Breen
|
Citroën C3 WRC | 6:07.0 | ||
| SS9 | Ässämäki 2 | 12.33 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 5:47.0 | Ott Tänak
| |
| SS10 | Äänekoski 2 | 7.71 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 3:29.1 | ||
| SS11 | Harju 2 | 2.31 km |  Sébastien Ogier
|
Ford Fiesta WRC | 1:48.7 | ||
| 28 July | SS12 | Päijälä 1 | 23.92 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 11:36.4 | |
| SS13 | Pihlajakoski 1 | 14.90 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 6:50.8 | ||
| SS14 | Kakaristo 1 | 23.66 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 11:40.4 | ||
| SS15 | Tuohikotanen 1 | 8.95 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 4:31.5 | ||
| SS16 | Tuohikotanen 2 | 8.95 km | Jari-Matti Latvala Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC Toyota Yaris WRC |
4:26.0 | ||
| SS17 | Kakaristo 2 | 23.66 km | Esapekka Lappi
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 11:26.3 | ||
| SS18 | Päijälä 2 | 23.92 km | Esapekka Lappi
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 11:31.1 | ||
| SS19 | Pihlajakoski 2 | 14.90 km | Esapekka Lappi
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 6:50.4 | ||
| 29 July | SS20 | Laukaa 1 | 11.74 km | Mads Østberg
|
Citroën C3 WRC | 5:28.4 | |
| SS21 | Ruuhimäki 1 | 11.12 km | Jari-Matti Latvala
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 5:32.9 | ||
| SS22 | Laukaa 2 | 11.74 km | Jari-Matti Latvala
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 5:21.8 | ||
| SS23 | Ruuhimäki 2 [Power stage] | 11.12 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 5:26.2 | ||
| World Rally Championship-2 | |||||||
| 26 July | — | Vesala [Shakedown] | 4.26 km | Ole Christian Veiby
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 2:02.9 | — |
| SS1 | Harju 1 | 2.31 km |  Fabio Andolfi
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 1:54.1 | Fabio Andolfi
| |
| 27 July | SS2 | Moksi 1 | 20.04 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 10:25.5 | Kalle Rovanperä
|
| SS3 | Urria 1 | 12.28 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 6:29.4 | ||
| SS4 | Ässämäki 1 | 12.33 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 6:10.2 | ||
| SS5 | Äänekoski 1 | 7.71 km | Eerik Pietarinen
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 3:43.3 | ||
| SS6 | Oittila | 19.34 km | Emil Lindholm
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 10:22.0 | ||
| SS7 | Moksi 2 | 20.04 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 10:18.5 | ||
| SS8 | Urria 2 | 12.28 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 6:28.8 | ||
| SS9 | Ässämäki 2 | 12.33 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 6:14.3 | ||
| SS10 | Äänekoski 2 | 7.71 km | Eerik Pietarinen
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 3:42.4 | ||
| SS11 | Harju 2 | 2.31 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 1:52.9 | ||
| 28 July | SS12 | Päijälä 1 | 23.92 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 12:17.1 | |
| SS13 | Pihlajakoski 1 | 14.90 km | Eerik Pietarinen
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 7:19.8 | ||
| SS14 | Kakaristo 1 | 23.66 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 12:20.0 | ||
| SS15 | Tuohikotanen 1 | 8.95 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 4:48.1 | ||
| SS16 | Tuohikotanen 2 | 8.95 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 4:43.2 | ||
| SS17 | Kakaristo 2 | 23.66 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 12:08.0 | ||
| SS18 | Päijälä 2 | 23.92 km | Eerik Pietarinen
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 12:17.1 | ||
| SS19 | Pihlajakoski 2 | 14.90 km | Eerik Pietarinen
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 7:19.8 | Eerik Pietarinen
| |
| 29 July | SS20 | Laukaa 1 | 11.74 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 5:43.5 | |
| SS21 | Ruuhimäki 1 | 11.12 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 5:46.1 | ||
| SS22 | Laukaa 2 | 11.74 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 5:36.7 | ||
| SS23 | Ruuhimäki 2 | 11.12 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 5:40.4 | ||
| World Rally Championship-3 / Junior World Rally Championship | |||||||
| 26 July | — | Vesala [Shakedown] | 4.26 km |  Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 2:20.0 | — |
| SS1 | Harju 1 | 2.31 km | Ken Torn
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 2:08.3 | Ken Torn
| |
| 27 July | SS2 | Moksi 1 | 20.04 km | Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 11:39.3 | Emil Bergkvist
|
| SS3 | Urria 1 | 12.28 km | Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 7:16.7 | ||
| SS4 | Ässämäki 1 | 12.33 km | Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 27:56.2 | ||
| SS5 | Äänekoski 1 | 7.71 km | Henri Hokkala
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 4:05.2 | ||
| SS6 | Oittila | 19.34 km | Henri Hokkala
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 11:21.0 | ||
| SS7 | Moksi 2 | 20.04 km | Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 11:33.1 | ||
| SS8 | Urria 2 | 12.28 km | Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 7:14.3 | ||
| SS9 | Ässämäki 2 | 12.33 km | Ken Torn
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 6:54.2 | Ken Torn
| |
| SS10 | Äänekoski 2 | 7.71 km | Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 4:02.5 | ||
| SS11 | Harju 2 | 2.31 km | Ken Torn
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 2:06.3 | ||
| 28 July | SS12 | Päijälä 1 | 23.92 km | Ken Torn
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 13:38.6 | |
| SS13 | Pihlajakoski 1 | 14.90 km | Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 8:11.3 | ||
| SS14 | Kakaristo 1 | 23.66 km | Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 13:35.5 | ||
| SS15 | Tuohikotanen 1 | 8.95 km | Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 5:21.8 | ||
| SS16 | Tuohikotanen 2 | 8.95 km | Ken Torn
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 5:19.6 | ||
| SS17 | Kakaristo 2 | 23.66 km | Ken Torn
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 13:25.4 | ||
| SS18 | Päijälä 2 | 23.92 km | Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 13:41.6 | ||
| SS19 | Pihlajakoski 2 | 14.90 km | Ken Torn
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 8:07.2 | ||
| 29 July | SS20 | Laukaa 1 | 11.74 km | Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 6:26.5 | |
| SS21 | Ruuhimäki 1 | 11.12 km | Emil Bergkvist
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 6:34.2 | ||
| SS22 | Laukaa 2 | 11.74 km | Ken Torn
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 6:15.9 | ||
| SS23 | Ruuhimäki 2 | 11.12 km | Ken Torn
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 6:29.3 | ||
Power stage edit
The Power stage was an 11.12 km stage at the end of the rally. Additional World Championship points were awarded to the five fastest crews.
| Pos. | Driver | Co-driver | Car | Time | Diff. | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ott Tänak
|
Martin Järveoja
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 5:26.2 | 0.0 | 5 |
| 2 | Mads Østberg
|
Torstein Eriksen
|
Citroën C3 WRC | 5:26.7 | +0.5 | 4 |
| 3 | Jari-Matti Latvala
|
Miikka Anttila
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 5:27.0 | +0.8 | 3 |
| 4 |  Thierry Neuville
|
Nicolas Gilsoul
|
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | 5:27.4 | +1.2 | 2 |
| 5 | Craig Breen
|
 Scott Martin
|
Citroën C3 WRC | 5:27.9 | +1.7 | 1 |
J-WRC stage winning crews edit
Junior World Rally Championship crews scored additional points. Each of the fastest stage time was awarded with one bonus point.
| Pos. | Driver | Co-driver | Car | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emil Bergkvist
|
Joakim Sjöberg
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 12 |
| 2 | Ken Torn
|
Kuldar Sikk
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 9 |
| 3 | Henri Hokkala
|
Kimmo Pahkala
|
Ford Fiesta R2T | 2 |
Penalties edit
The following notable crews were given time penalty during the rally.[a]
| Stage | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Class | Reason | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS3 | 44 |  Simone Tempestini
|
Sergiu Itu
|
Citroën Total Rallye Team
|
Citroën C3 R5 | WRC-2 | 1 minute late | 0:10 |
| SS6 | 4 | Andreas Mikkelsen
|
Anders Jæger-Synnevaag
|
 Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
|
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | WRC | 4 minutes late | 0:40 |
| SS9 | 35 | Pierre-Louis Loubet
|
Vincent Landais
|
BRC Racing Team
|
Hyundai i20 R5 | WRC-2 | 5 minutes late | 0:50 |
| SS12 | 78 |  Sanjay Takale
|
Darren Garrod
|
Darren Garrod
|
Hyundai i20 R5 | WRC-3 | 4 minutes late | 0:40 |
| SS21 | 89 | Gaurav Gill
|
 Glenn MacNeall
|
Team MRF Tyres
|
Ford Fiesta R5 | — | Jump start | 0:10 |
| SS22 | 3 | Teemu Suninen
|
Mikko Markkula
|
M-Sport Ford WRT
|
Ford Fiesta WRC | WRC | 2 minutes late | 0:20 |
Retirements edit
The following notable crews retired from the event.[a] Under Rally2 regulations, they were eligible to re-enter the event starting from the next leg. Crews that re-entered were given an additional time penalty.
Championship standings after the rally edit
Drivers' championships edit
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Co-Drivers' championships edit
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Manufacturers' and teams' championships edit
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Notes edit
References edit
- ^ "Neste Rally Finland". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ^ "Rally Aus retains WRC finale in 2018". speedcafe.com. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "Junior WRC Calendar". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
- ^ "Rally Calendar Overview". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ "Ice-cool Lappi nets first win". wrc.com. WRC. 30 July 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
- ^ "Breaking News: Ott on top in Finland". wrc.com. WRC. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- ^ "WRC 2 in Finland: Pietarinen claims home victory". wrc.com. WRC. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ "Junior WRC in Finland: Maiden victory for Torn". wrc.com. WRC. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ "Neste Rally Finland 2018 Entry List" (PDF). nesterallyfinland.fi. Neste Rally Finland. 29 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ Beer, Matt (24 May 2018). "Citroen axes Kris Meeke due to 'excessively high number of crashes'". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
- ^ Evans, David (25 May 2018). "Citroen WRC team explains decision to axe 'not under control' Meeke". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
- ^ Evans, David (20 June 2018). "Ostberg takes Meeke's Citroen WRC seat for remainder of 2018 season". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ "Sunday In Finland: Tänak Triumphs in Style". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- ^ "SS20/21: Lappi Rolls Out". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- ^ a b "Rally Finland Results". wrc.com. World Rally Championship. 29 July 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- ^ a b "68. Neste Rally Finland 2018". ewrc-results.com. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
External links edit
- Official website (in Finnish and English)
- 2018 Rally Finland in e-wrc website
- The official website of the World Rally Championship