Route planning for Rally Finland is a year-round development process. In practice, planning for the Secto Rally Finland route begins even before the previous year’s event has taken place. Alternative concepts and new ideas are continuously evaluated, with intensive design work accelerating immediately after the rally. The clear objective is constant renewal.
– We have a strong ambition not to run the same route two years in a row. In 2026, 66% of the special stages are different compared to last year, and the rally must keep evolving to remain exciting for both drivers and spectators, says Kai Tarkiainen, Clerk of the Course.
The 2026 route reflects both the 75-year history of Rally Finland and bold new openings. It features sections inspired by classic decades of the event, alongside roads that have never before been used in a FIA World Rally Championship event.
FIA Regulation changes compacted the route
New FIA regulations introduced for the current season require a more compact overall structure, with special stages now accounting for at least one quarter of the total itinerary. This has demanded significant structural solutions.
– Stage lengths, liaison distances and geographical logic must all work together, but sporting quality is always the top priority. We have now achieved a route that meets all requirements and remains extremely compact yet highly diverse, says Kari Nuutinen, Deputy Clerk of the Course responsible for the route.
A more compact itinerary means shorter road sections, more competitive kilometres per day, and a better overall experience for competitors, spectators and organisers alike.
Friday completely reworked
The most significant changes to the route take place on Friday, which features the highest number of competitive kilometres. Nearly half of the day’s roads have never been driven in the WRC era.
Friday’s itinerary includes Laukaa run in a new direction, Saarikas, the all-new Sydänmaa special stage combining the former Sirkkamäki and Kalliokoski roads, the completely new Hoho stage, and the evening highlight, the Harju Super Special Stage in downtown Jyväskylä.
– Some of these roads have never even seen a rally car in a local event, yet there is a strong historical feel throughout the day, which is exactly what an anniversary year should deliver, explains Nuutinen.
According to Tarkiainen, the new Sydänmaa stage is one of the highlights of the entire rally.
– It offers a wide variety of roads and is seriously fast, delivering pure, traditional Finnish WRC spirit, he says.
Saturday: speed and flow
Saturday is built around a fast and rhythmical package, with liaison sections shortened to be more driver-friendly. The day starts near Jyväskylä in Parkkola and continues through Päijälä and Västilä before reaching Leustu in Korpilahti.
– The aim was to break up long liaisons and make the day more pleasant for the crews while still preserving the classic high-speed Finnish gravel roads, says Tarkiainen.
Sunday decider at Himos
Sunday follows the successful concept introduced for the first time last year. The final day features one long special stage run twice, with the second pass serving as the Power Stage. In 2026, the stage will be the new Himos–Jämsä, stretching to an impressive 30 kilometres.
The stage opens on a fast Vaheri public road, transitions into narrower private roads in the middle section, and finishes spectacularly at the foot of the Himos ski slopes within a compact event village.
– Spectators can watch a long section of action from the same locations and immediately enjoy the finish-line celebrations, a concept that is not possible everywhere, notes Tarkiainen.
Secto continues as title partner
Secto Rally Finland 2026 combines history, brand-new roads, a compact structure and spectator-friendly event hubs such as the Jyväskylä Paviljonki Service Park and rally arenas in Hoho, Leustu and Himos. Long-term development of the event continues as Secto Automotive Oy and AKK Sports Oy have signed a two-year extension of Secto’s role as the rally’s title partner.
At the core of the partnership is a more sustainable future for motorsport. Rallying is utilised as a development platform for solutions that can also reduce emissions in everyday mobility.
Rallying offers a unique environment to test new solutions under extreme conditions, and the goal is to transfer the lessons learned from rallying into everyday driving and identify concrete ways to reduce emissions, says Markus Vuolle, CEO of Secto Automotive.
Secto Automotive has been an exceptionally significant title partner for Rally Finland. The collaboration has gone far beyond visibility alone. The Spark the Future sustainability seminar has introduced timely discussions on a sustainable future, while jointly developed solutions have further enhanced the spectator experience.
Secto has utilised the WRC event in an innovative way as part of its customer and stakeholder engagement, telling its own story through the rally, creating value for all parties and looking boldly to the future, says Paula Paappanen, Commercial Director of AKK Sports Oy.
Together, the renewed anniversary-year route and a strong, future-focused partnership lay the foundation for a rally that continues to evolve without compromising the very essence of the sport, the fastest gravel roads in the world.
The route reveal event will be broadcast live and free of charge on 3 February 2026 from 13:00 to 13:30 on Flying Finn TV
SECTO RALLY FINLAND 2026 – ROUTE
29.7.2026 KESKIVIIKKO
19:00 Ceremonial Start, Jyväskylä
30.7.2026 THURSDAY
09:01 Shakedown Ruuhimäki, 4.12 km
19:05 SS1 Harju 1 (Live TV) 2.58 km
Service, Jyväskylä
Total 2.58 km
31.7.2026 FRIDAY
08:44 SS2 Laukaa 1, 18.20 km
09:45 SS3 Saarikas 1, 15.78 km
10:50 SS4 Sydänmaa 1, 19.1 km
11:58 SS5 Hoho 1, 9.60 km
Service, Jyväskylä
14:48 SS6 Laukaa 2, 18.20 km
15:49 SS7 Saarikas 2, 15.78 km
16:54 SS8 Sydänmaa 2, 19.1 km
18:05 SS9 Hoho 2, 9.60 km
19:05 SS10 Harju 2, 2.58 km
Service, Jyväskylä
Total 127.94 km
1.8.2026 SATURDAY
08:01 SS11 Parkkola 1, 16.80 km
09:42 SS12 Päijälä 1, 10.60 km
10:36 SS13 Västilä 1, 19.20 km
12:05 SS14 Leustu1, 16.44 km
Service, Jyväskylä
15:01 SS15 Parkkola 2, 16.80 km
16:42 SS16 Päijälä 2, 10.60 km
17:36 SS17 Västilä 2, 19.20 km
19:05 SS18 Leustu2, 16.44 km
Service, Jyväskylä
Total 126.08 km
2.8.2026 SUNDAY
10:35 SS19 Himos-Jämsä 1, 30.00 km
13:15 SS20 Himos-Jämsä 2 (Wolf Power Stage), 30.00 km
14:15 Podium, Himos
Total 60.00 km
Route distance total 1 276.97 km, Special Stages 316.60 km
