It’s not the first time the WRC grid delivers such a spectacle — but to witness it twice over the Ouninpohja stage is truly a blessing!
All the ingredients were there for an incredible Sunday: Toyota holding the top five spots, Hyundai determined to fight for well-deserved Sunday points, stunning weather, thousands of passionate fans, and an epic WRC2 battle with Jari-Matti Latvala just 1.8 seconds behind leader Roope Korhonen.
Kalle Rovanperä even had time to analyse the legendary stage before the start:
“It’s all about the car being precise and straightforward. It’s definitely one of the most difficult stages in the world. It’ll be tight. Basically, all crests and all lines are blind—you have to focus so much. You need a precise and comfortable car. It’s all about the feeling—you need to be super precise and straightforward. No sliding, just fast!” Now we know!
Ouninpohja 1 did not disappoint.
On the penultimate stage of the fastest rally on the WRC calendar, Latvala closed the gap by half a second, keeping the suspense alive right to the end. Meanwhile, the top contenders gave it everything they had: How on earth is it possible to have three drivers separated by less than ONE second over 23.98 km?!
Even more incredible — six drivers were within 3.5 seconds!
Elfyn Evans set the fastest time, followed closely by Ogier, Rovanperä, and a smiling Katsuta. Fourmaux and Neuville followed in fifth and sixth. But the suspense lasted right until the final meters of Ouninpohja 2 — the Power Stage.
Roope Korhonen attacked the final stage with such determination that he cracked his windshield after a heavy landing. But it was just enough to stay ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala, who finished only 1.1 seconds behind and warmly greeted Roope immediately after the finish line. Two Finns now share the podium, joined in third place by Robert Virves.
Hyundai’s luck took another hit: Tänak spun due to a delaminated tyre and lost any chance of scoring Power Stage points. On top of that, Fourmaux received a tyre pressure warning and was forced to retire on the very final stage.
Neuville gave it everything he had, admitting it’s been a tough year, and managed to finish 4th on the Power Stage — 6th overall, just behind the unstoppable Toyota armada.
Toyota is the undisputed winner of this round — claiming victory on the Power Stage, winning 15 out of 20 stages, and locking out the top five positions! Only Lancia managed such a result in Portugal 35 years ago…!! (with a certain Juha Kankkunen in the team…)
The Power Stage results mirrored the final classification:
Kalle Rovanperä wins the Rally, the Power Stage, and Super Sunday! He is joined on the podium by a delighted Takamoto Katsuta and Sébastien Ogier, who dropped a strong hint at the finish line:
“These are very good points for the championship — you’ll see me again soon!”
It seems the suspense about his participation in upcoming events is now over!
Teammates Elfyn Evans and Sami Pajari completed the top five, capping off a dominant performance by the Toyota squad.
The Junior Championship wrapped up with the Irish crew Kelly/Mohan standing on the top step of the podium, followed by Taylor Gill, who overtook Ali Türkkan during Ouninpohja 1.
Let’s keep an eye on our Flying Finn Future Star, Aatu Hakalehto, who secured a very respectable 4th place — a promising result for the young talent’s future.
See you next year!
