Round nine of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship, Secto Rally Finland, will take place in Jyväskylä from 31 July to 3 August. A total of 66 crews have registered for the event, with competitors representing 24 different nationalities. With the championship already well into its second half, every point becomes increasingly crucial in the battle for both drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles.
Secto Rally Finland Clerk of the Course, Kai Tarkiainen, is pleased with the entry:
“The list is high in quality. We’re especially glad to see all the factory teams fielding several cars – 11 Rally1 cars is a very strong showing,” says Tarkiainen.
Toyota Gazoo Racing will field five Rally1 cars, as the Japan-based manufacturer – whose WRC operations are based in Jyväskylä – lines up all five of its current drivers for its home event. Sébastien Ogier, Takamoto Katsuta, Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanperä will drive for the main team, while Sami Pajari will compete under Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2, using identical Rally1 machinery. Ogier’s decision to enter – despite his limited programme – came as something of a surprise, but having last year’s winner back adds further star power to the field.
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team enters three cars with Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak and Adrien Fourmaux. M-Sport Ford World Rally Team also arrives with three drivers: Grégoire Munster, Mārtiņš Sesks and Joshua McErlean.
The main fight for victory is expected to take place between the four world champions – Ogier, Tänak, Neuville and Rovanperä. But the younger generation should not be discounted either: Takamoto Katsuta, Sami Pajari, Adrien Fourmaux and Mārtiņš Sesks are all capable of podium pace if they deliver a clean run. At the very least, the internal battle among this new wave of talent on the fast Finnish gravel roads promises thrilling action.
“As a wild card, I’d put forward Sami Pajari,” Tarkiainen says. “He showed very strong pace in his Rally1 debut here last year, and I think he could be a genuine contender this time as well.”
The WRC2 category features 23 entrants. Among those fighting for points are top names like Oliver Solberg and Yohan Rossel, along with a strong group of Finnish challengers led by Emil Lindholm. Roope Korhonen will be one to watch on home roads, and Tuukka Kauppinen – who has shown promising speed earlier this season – adds further interest. Toyota Gazoo Racing’s team principal Jari-Matti Latvala will also be competing in a Rally2-spec Toyota. However, it’s important to note that his approach will differ from those competing for the full WRC2 title – while he’s focused on a single event, the others must balance performance with the bigger picture of the championship standings.
WRC3 has also attracted a solid entry, with 19 drivers set to compete for class honours. Among the Finnish contenders are Ville Vatanen, Leevi Lassila and Ville Pynnönen. Toyota’s Japanese junior drivers Takumi Matsushita and Shotaro Goto will also take part in the rally as part of the manufacturer’s development programme.
The Junior WRC class returns once again this year, with ten entrants including many of the season’s top names. Flying the Finnish flag is Aatu Hakalehto, who earned his JWRC spot by winning AKK’s annual Flying Finn Future Star competition.
Secto Rally Finland is renowned for its fast gravel stages, iconic jumps and technical demands. Year after year, the event serves as one of the toughest benchmarks in the WRC. On the roads of Central Finland, experience is a clear advantage – success here requires both bravery and commitment. The rally’s late-season position in the calendar also adds strategic weight: a strong result can propel a title challenge forward, while mistakes may prove costly in the final championship standings.
