Sebastien Ogier claims stunning victory as Kalle Rovanpera crashes out in Rally Finland drama

Sebastien Ogier claimed a surprise victory at Rally Finland after teammate Kalle Rovanpera crashed while leading in the penultimate stage.

Eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier claimed a dramatic and unexpected victory at Rally Finland on Sunday after his Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate Kalle Rovanpera suffered a rally-ending roll on the event's penultimate stage while leading.

Rovanpera, who had led for nearly every kilometer of the four-day gravel event, seemed poised to break Finland’s seven-year drought for a native winner.

The 23-year-old was cruising with a commanding 45.8-second lead going into the rally’s penultimate stage.

However, disaster struck when he clipped a rogue rock, causing his GR Yaris Rally1 to veer off course and roll, ending his chances of victory.

Earlier in the same stage, Rovanpera’s colleague, Elfyn Evans, had also experienced misfortune.

Evans, aiming to secure Super Sunday points after a broken driveshaft on Friday, left the road, further complicating Toyota’s campaign.

Ogier, making his first appearance in Finland since 2021, was ready to capitalize on his teammates' misfortunes.

He secured his 61st WRC victory, finishing 40.1 seconds ahead of Hyundai i20 N Rally1 driver Thierry Neuville. Adrien Fourmaux, driving a Puma Rally1 for M-Sport Ford, completed the podium 34.0 seconds further back.

"It's hard to smile right now.A win in Finland is always nice, but this is not the way we like to have it. Very sorry for Kalle and Jonne, they were unlucky with the stone and it's a shame for them. We were unlucky in Sardinia and lost in the last stage, but we are lucky here. That’s motorsport," Ogier admitted.

The events in Finland significantly impacted the driver’s championship standings.

Despite missing three rallies earlier this year, Ogier’s victory propelled him to second place. Friday retiree Ott Tanak and Evans, both failing to score points, dropped to third and fourth, respectively.

Neuville, however, emerged as the biggest winner in the title race. Arriving in Finland with an eight-point lead, the Belgian extended his buffer to 27 points.

Additionally, Hyundai Motorsport expanded its lead over Toyota in the manufacturers’ championship to 20 points.

“It was a real rollercoaster of emotions this weekend. We had a clever approach this weekend knowing it was hard to fight with the Toyotas. After our team’s issues (Tänak and Esapekka Lappi both crashing on Friday), we knew we had to bring the points home," Neuville said.

Fourmaux’s third-place result marked his fourth podium of the season. The Frenchman trailed Neuville by 34.0 seconds at the final control, with Sami Pajari’s Toyota 40.0 seconds behind.

Pajari, alongside co-driver Enni Malkonen, delivered an impressive performance on his top-flight debut.

After a rocky start to the rally, including two spins resulting in rear wing damage on Friday, the Finnish pair claimed their first-ever WRC stage win at Ruuhimäki on Saturday.

Rally2 machinery filled the remainder of the top 10. Oliver Solberg won the WRC2 category, placing fifth overall ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala, Lauri Joona, Mikko Heikkilä, Nikolay Gryazin, and Georg Linnamäe.

The rally action continues next month on gravel with the legendary EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, based in Lamia, from September 5-8.

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