Don’t worry, you were busy getting ready for Monte Carlo. You’re excused. Eyes north come Friday though. The Finnish Rally Championship is up, running and bound for the Arctic Circle this week.
A year on the World Rally Championship calendar did much to debunk rallying in planet earth’s far – and frozen – north, but the Lapland Arctic Rally remains a fascinating prospect. It’s one of those events which takes the known normal and shapes it into something special.
Even though, for example, January becomes February in the middle of the event, sunrise is still on hold until half nine in the morning. And it’s down again at half three.
This is a rally where survival is taken more seriously than, perhaps, anywhere else in the world. Stopping on a stage, whether it’s mechanical or parked in the trees, is never ideal, but when Fahrenheit’s measured in something minus, you’ll understand why packing your parka was encouraged.
Gorgeous winter conditions lie in store this weekend
Once again, the stars align in the north. Five years on from winning his maiden outing in a factory Toyota Yaris WRC, Kalle Rovanperä is back in Santa’s town of Rovaniemi. He headlines the entry as part of his Rally Sweden preparations aboard a GR Yaris Rally1.
Behind the two-time world champion is Jari-Matti Latvala. The 18-time world rally winner puts the day job on hold while he wheels out his Celica Turbo 4WD for a European Historic Rally Championship shakedown.
And yes, you’re right, the European Historic Rally Championship doesn’t actually have a snow round, but J-ML loves driving and really loves driving on the snow.
Esapekka Lappi and Enni Mälkönen provide another Arctic newsline. Post-Hyundai, Lappi’s back in a Rally2 car, with the reigning WRC2 champion alongside him in an RTE Motorsport-run Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo. And, don’t forget, M-Sport’s made the long trip inside the Arctic Circle, with Jourdan Serderidis making his first appearance in a 2025-spec Ford Puma Rally1.
The event starts on Friday morning, with two full days comprising 133 miles – a route just 25 miles short of the WRC counter from four years ago. And the roads which captivated the watching world in 2021 remain – the Sarriojärvi 20-miler north-east of Rovaniemi provides a sting in the tail as the 13th and final stage on Saturday.
That’s this week, what about this season?
Lappi starts his first rally alongside new co-driver Mälkönen this week
Four-time Finnish Rally champion Teemu Asunmaa (Škoda) began his campaign on the front foot with victory in thin winter conditions at Kuopio the Saturday before Monte Carlo – alongside Lappi’s old co-driver Janne Ferm.
Two of Asunmaa’s biggest rivals come from the Rautio stable with defending champion Roope Korhonen looking to retain his crown this year. There’s a sister Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 for his 18-year-old team-mate Tuukka Kauppinen.
And look out for Teemu Suninen too, who’s co-driving for the very first time in his career alongside Finnish drifter Ville Kaukonen.
Škoda drivers Lauri Joona and Niclas Grönholm will also be among the season-long pace setters in a year which offers one more winter round after the Arctic (Savonlinna) before the Finns wait for a couple of months to give winter time to thaw into spring.
Then? Gravel time, starting with a trip to Turku for Länsirannikon Ralli. Kuovola Ralli is back for first time in three years and Lahti and Seinäjoki (which moves back from the middle of the year and replaces Ralli Kitee as finale) rounding out the year.