WRC – 2021 Rally Finland Preview

This will seemingly be the 70th running of the rally that has been practically constantly most trendy within the history of the WRC. The cancellation of the 2020 match as a result of COVID-19 became supreme the second time since 1973 the Finnish rally has been absent from the calendar.

Nonetheless the October date this yr is a first – rescheduled from the long-established summer time date to be particular spectators can glance the phases. The capability for cooler temperatures and rain may maybe maybe provide extra challenges for the drivers on phases that are identified for top speeds and mountainous jumps.

The Toyota crew primarily primarily based within the host metropolis of Jyväskylä has loved a ideal winning anecdote on Rally Finland since 2017. Heading to the 2021 spherical, Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans are first and second within the standings, separated by 44 ingredients – that technique Ogier has the probability to clinch an eighth drivers’ title in Finland, must aloof he amplify his advantage above 60 ingredients. Righteous seven ingredients within the again of Evans in fourth overall is Kalle Rovanperä, who became born in Jyväskylä and enters his home match on a high after winning in Estonia and Greece.

Toyota’s 2017 Rally Finland winner Esapekka Lappi returns to pressure a fifth Yaris WRC with the private crew RTE-Motorsport, with Takamoto Katsuta moreover in circulate with the Irishman Aaron Johnston as a brand unusual co-driver at his side for this match.

Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville is third within the drivers’ standings, 50 ingredients from Ogier, whereas Ott Tänak will seemingly be one to glance in Finland after winning the 2018 and 2019 editions. Craig Breen returns to the crew’s third i20 Coupe WRC after second-living finishes on his final two outings in Estonia and Belgium.

Gus Greensmith and Adrien Fourmaux create the M-Sport Ford pairing, the latter starting the match with unusual co-driver Alexandre Coria after he and Renaud Jamoul determined to fragment systems.

TRT’s Mads Østberg heads an eight-automobile entry in FIA WRC2 with an change to conclude the 30-point gap to championship leader Andreas Mikkelsen. The Norwegian Citroën driver from will face competition from a pair of Flying Finns with Jari Huttunen at the wheel of a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 and Teemu Suninen, who drives a Movisport-entered Volkswagen Polo on home soil sooner than he’ll be a half of the Hyundai fold for the next spherical in Spain. Their respective crew-mates Oliver Solberg and Nikolay Gryazin are amongst the varied contenders, the worn who will moreover swap co-driver in Finland.

Several varied talented Finnish drivers line up in FIA WRC3. Emil Lindholm, at the second fifth within the category standings, is joined by the likes of Teemu Asunmaa, who obtained the category on Arctic Rally Finland in February; Mikko Heikkilä, third in every the Arctic and on Rally Estonia; and Eerik Pietarinen, who became the WRC3 winner on Rally Finland in 2018. There’s moreover a four-wheel pressure debut for FIA Junior WRC traditional Lauri Joona. Spain’s Pepe López and Estonian Egon Kaur lead the guests.

THE 2021 ROUTE

The change of date technique that Rally Finland will elope with a extra compact schedule this yr, however aloof ingredients 19 phases and 287.11 competitive kilometres. Shakedown takes living on Friday morning sooner than the archaic Harju check opens the competitive circulate on the streets of Jyväskylä within the early afternoon. 5 wooded arena phases observe over the rest of Friday, running previous sunset. Saturday ingredients over half of the competitive distance and consists largely of two loops of four phases to the south around Jämsa. These involves unusual tests in Arvaja and Patajoki, sooner than a repeat of Harju within the evening. Sunday is familiar from most trendy years, with repeated passes of Laukaa and Ruuhimäki – the latter cyber web hosting the Wolf Strength Stage.

RALLY DATA

Complete distance:   1059.64 km
Stage distance:    287.11 km (27.1 %)
Prefer of phases:  19

MEDIA ACCREDITATION

Media accreditation and attendance is exactly managed with modified terms under COVID-19 laws. All attendees are required to adjust to the COVID protocol as outlined by the match organisers (please confer with the Bulletins on the Virtual Witness Board and in explicit the COVID Delegate notes).

Media accreditation must be accrued in my method by accredited Pass Holders at the Media Accreditation Desk, located within the Hall B of the Paviljonki (Schaumanin Puistotie 18, Jyväskylä, Finland).

Opening hours:
Tuesday 28 September: 14.00-20.00
Wednesday 29 September: 09.00-20.00
Thursday 30 September: 10.00-20.00
Friday 1 October: Upon quiz

2021 WRC SECTO RALLY FINLAND TIMETABLE AND MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES

FIA PRESS CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE

MANUFACTURER WRC ENTRIES, 2021 SECTO RALLY FINLAND

2021 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS

The provisional classifications for the total WRC championships are readily available by means of the next link:
https://www.fia.com/occasions/world-rally-championship/season-2021/standings