Day 3: Fine fourth for Hayden and Seb
A spectacular conclusion to Rally Finland has seen us retain the lead in both drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships with five rounds of the season left to contest.
Leading our charge, Hayden and Seb secured a strong fourth place, equalling our best-ever result on the high-speed Finnish gravel roads. Although a podium remained elusive, the #6 crew were able to score important points.
“On the whole, I am really happy,” said Hayden. “The final morning was about taking it easy to bring the car home. I have enjoyed the stages, the car has been a joy to drive and it has given me the confidence I need.”
Jumping, jumping
Sunday’s itinerary included two runs through the 11.74km Laukaa and 11.12km Ruuhimäki stages. Flat-out through the iconic Finnish forest and ending with a breathtaking jump, crews gave the fans a real treat.
Our Belgian crew flew through the finish to claim two extra Power Stage points, cementing Thierry’s lead in the drivers’ table. Despite losing six points to rival Sébastien Ogier, he has a 21-point advantage ahead of our home event in Germany next month.
“We gave it everything we could and it was good to take a couple of extra points in the Power Stage,” said Thierry. “We have done our best, the team has done a good job and we can be proud of ourselves.”
Looking forward to Germany
With road position continuing to limit the early runners, our Norwegian’s Andreas and Anders were still haunted by their Friday issues.
“Losing three minutes due to a pace note error was just what we didn’t need,” said Andreas. “It meant we were penalised as first on the road. I’m sure we’ll be back on the pace in Germany.”
Our Team Principal Michel offered his usual honest assessment of a complicated rally. “I don’t think we could have done much more,” he said. “We knew we would face strong competition from crews who are always competitive on the Finnish stages. We’ve come to see fourth place here as a pretty decent result! We now move onto our own home event, Rallye Deutschland, which brings an entirely different set of challenges and hopefully opportunities.”
Rallye Deutschland takes place from 16-19 August.
Final Overall Classification Rally Finland
1O. Tänak / M. Järveoja(Toyota Yaris WRC)2:13:18.2
2M. Østberg / T. Eriksen(Citroën C3 WRC)+32.7
3J.M. Latvala / M. Anttila(Toyota Yaris WRC)+35.5
4H. Paddon / S. Marshall(Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)+1:35.6
5S. Ogier / J. Ingrassia(Ford Fiesta WRC)+2:15.0
6T. Suninen / M. Markkula(Ford Fiesta WRC)+2:19.2
7E. Evans / D. Barritt(Ford Fiesta WRC)+2:29.5
8C. Breen / S. Martin(Citroën C3 WRC)+3:08.4
9T. Neuville / N. Gilsoul(Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)+3:51.8
10A. Mikkelsen / A. Jæger(Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)+8:37.4
2018 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings
After round 8
1T. Neuville153
2S. Ogier132
3O. Tanak107
4E. Lappi70
5D. Sordo60
6A. Mikkelsen57
7J.M Latvala55
8E. Evans52
9M. Østberg48
10K. Meeke43
11C. Breen39
12H. Paddon34
2018 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
After round 8
1Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team228
2M-Sport Ford World Rally Team202
3Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team201
4Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team153
All results remain subject to official FIA confirmation.
