With just one defeat since it returned to the World Rally Championship in 2017, Toyota is usually always the favorite for victory at Secto Rally Finland.
But its bid might be complicated this time around, as the team’s permanent test site in Finland was a lot softer than the stages on this weekend’s rally look set to be.
Chasing a first win at his home event, World Rally champion Kalle Rovanperä was a close second to Esapekka Lappi on Thursday morning’s Ruuhimäki shakedown stage, and is expected to be in the mix for a third consecutive WRC win after recent successes in Poland and Latvia.
But the Finn was wary that the team’s usual advantage of being able to enjoy unlimited testing in conditions akin to Rally Finland has been neutered by recent repairs to its roads.
“Our test roads here in Finland are a bit softer than what actually the rally is going to be,” Rovanperä told DirtFish.
Rovanperä isn't convinced the team's pre-event testing will prove that relevant
“So they are good for testing overall, but actually for Rally Finland they are not in the best shape because we repaired them and then the gravel is quite soft.
“In the rally we will have this hard base much more. And yeah, we will see tomorrow actually what the car does. It’s not 100% sure yet, like on this hard base, if we have the grip and traction we need.
“So yeah for sure it’s a bit [of an] unknown thing,” he added.”
“Of course we have some things that we can do during the weekend, but of course tomorrow morning we need to be fast right away so let’s hope we are at least close to the good feeling.”
Toyota’s usual team principal Jari-Matti Latvala – whose role is being fulfilled by Kai Lindström in Finland with Latvala competing in WRC2 – told DirtFish he can “understand” Rovanperä’s point, but suggested that forecasted rain should eradicate the problem.
“Of course the downside when you test a lot in your own test area, you will use the road and the road will start to get softer and you need to regrade it,” Latvala said.
“But the problem is that it would need a bit of time to get packed. So, yeah, of course I understand Kalle’s point that there is a bit of… yeah, a little bit like… especially when you go first time to the stage, it’s a bit unknown with the grip.
“But now the rain, there’s been a bit of rain and I think it will make the roads a bit softer, which generally should help for Kalle and our drivers.”
Rovanperä is “confident” there will be “many more guys in the fight of the win” than in Poland and Latvia where road position played a major part in dictating the leaderboard, but despite the wetter and softer roads championship leader, and first on the road, Thierry Neuville hasn’t backed himself to be in that scrap.
“Maybe Kalle starting on first would be able to win it. I’m not sure if I would be able to win it, I don’t know,” the Hyundai driver told DirtFish.
Neuville isn't as confident as normal for Rally Finland
“It’s no secret, it’s a different event than most of them where I’m very competitive. We have had good runs here, and we are some stages super fast, but on the whole weekend, it will be challenging for me to target a victory. I don’t know.
“Let’s see how is the feeling. If you’re in contention for a podium place, I would be already quite satisfied.”
M-Sport drivers feeling a lack of testing
Toyota has its concerns about the validity of its test, but things weren’t perfect for the Hyundai drivers either, who faced warm and dry conditions in their pre-event test.
But at least they had a test, unlike M-Sport duo Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster whose only preparation for the Poland-Latvia-Finland trio of fast events was done before Poland, in Estonia.
Budget constraints mean M-Sport hasn't done a specific test for Finland
“Well, the two other teams have been testing, we have not been testing for this rally. It’s definitely not ideal,” Fourmaux told DirtFish.
“We always think that it’s the same in Poland and Latvia and here, but it’s completely different when you arrive. So I’ve been struggling a bit this morning [on shakedown].
“I think I have found maybe something. I hope it’s going to work for tomorrow, and then we’ll see. But for sure, you will never know until tomorrow.”
Munster struck a similar tone to his team-mate.
“The thing that was a bit tricky is that we only did one pre-event test for these three fast gravel events. And still, they don’t have so much in common,” he said.
“If you compare Latvia, that’s a lot of cleaning effect, a lot of loose stuff on top. And here, even with the rain, it makes it even more compact.
“You almost have a like Tarmac grip sometimes, so it’s quite impressive, and we need to adjust a bit the setup to that. But now I think we managed to find a good confidence.”
Fourmaux would love to record a podium but isn't sure he can
Fourmaux – who has claimed three podiums so far in 2024 – added “his goal” is another top-three, but won’t flat-out expect that from himself considering M-Sport’s position.
“I think everybody wants to get the podium, isn’t it? So we’re going to play for that. For sure, I know it’s going to be really hard because of preparation, because we know the level in here with the other drivers, they’re going to be flat out,” he said.
“But I’m going to try anyway. But already a top five would be, I think, a good result. So I need to respect that. But for sure, my goal is to get back in the podium especially in Finland.
“I did podium last year in Rally2, so I would like to do that in Rally1.”
