Story: Staff Writer
Picture: Geoff Mayes Media
Neste Oil Rally Finland is always a special event, but this year’s 60th anniversary was even more special – and more demanding as the three-day schedule was packed into an arduous two-day flat-out race through the fastest forests in Finland. And, at the end, Pirelli Star Driver Ott Tänak finished first in the PWRC after a faultless, sure-footed drive.
Ott Tänak was under tremendous pressure when he arrived at the start of Rally Finland on Thursday evening. For the two previous events in the Pirelli Star Driver programme, the 22-year-old Estonian had held a commanding position, only to let it slip on the final day, crashing heavily in Turkey and Portugal. This time around, he started the event with advice ringing in his ears. There were concerned looks when Tänak talked about having to modify his pace on the first morning for fear of crashing, but in the end he turned in a perfect performance. He was still in the fight for first place in PWRC when rapid local driver Juha Salo bounced his Mitsubishi off a bank and broke the suspension. When the Finn faltered, Tänak moved in and led from SS7 until the end of the event.
For a while on Saturday lunchtime, it looked as though the Pirelli Star Driver programme could supply a one-two, with New Zealander Hayden Paddon turning in an exceptional rookie performance to take third position in PWRC. He moved up to second on SS14, but a puncture slowed him in SS15 and left him on the bottom step of the podium at the end of the second day. Paddon admitted he had struggled to find his rhythm on the opening day, not helped by a vibration from the wheels and difficulties in getting the set-up of the Mitsubishi to his liking. He was much happier on Saturday and pleased with his second podium finish in as many PWRC outings – following his Rally New Zealand victory.
Alex Raschi was 12th in PWRC after the first stage, but made up six places to end the event fifth on Saturday. The San Marino driver had underestimated the task ahead of him on this event, but an early morning run through the rollercoaster Urria test soon got him on message, the message being that Finland is to be survived first time around and enjoyed on the second occasion. Raschi’s car, like the rest of the Ralliart Italia-tuned Lancers, ran without any problems during the 19-stage Rally Finland. Kenyan driver Peter Horsey and Lebanon’s Nick Georgiou engaged in their own private battle for the final points-paying positions. Georgiou was the quicker of the pair for the first day, but Horsey bounced back and passed his team-mate on Saturday afternoon. Both drivers were delighted with their first visit to the event they’d been most looking forward to from the start of the programme. Horsey also had the honour of leading the entire field – a field including four-time world champion Juha Kankkunen who was contesting his 22nd Rally Finland – away from the start.
Horsey was first on the road due to the reversed running order for Thursday night’s televised opening stage.
Peter Horsey said: “Being the first car over the ramp at the start of the event was an amazing feeling for me. This is such a big rally. When we won our place in the Pirelli Star Driver scheme last year, this was the event I was looking forward to the most, so to lead the field away – and on the 60th anniversary of one of the world’s biggest events – was actually quite emotional. Going into the rally, things didn’t start too well: we went into a ditch on the first corner on Friday. We had a noisy rear differential towards the end of the first day, there was a lot of rattling coming from it near the end of the final stage – but it didn’t cost us any time. We also had the co-driver’s window break on Myhinpaa, it wouldn’t go up after Calvin had finished at the control. That was a bit of a shame as it brought a fair bit of dust into the car, but in fairness it wasn’t going to spoil my enjoyment of the stage. I have to say, Myhinpaa has been the best road we have been on during the event. It was just incredible, the perfect stage. There weren’t so many junctions to slow the rhythm or anything like that, it just flowed so well – it was a real drivers’ stage. It’s helped having Calvin here; he’s worked on this event so many times before that he has a really good insight into what’s coming. I feel like everything has come together for me on the rally: I’ve been happy with the notes, we’ve committed to the notes and the speed hasn’t been a problem to do that. Rally Finland has been everything I hoped it would be; such a big challenge but incredibly rewarding at the same time.”