Rally Finland — not just the closest to the Russian stage of the World Rally Championship, is also one of the most exciting racing series in the calendar. High speeds, crazy jumps, the most interesting part of the participants, a great organization — this stage is the peak of the season.
It can and should go at least once in life. Especially because this is a relatively budget. This year, the rally ended with the victory of the local drivers — Jari-Matti Latvala had no equal.
In Portugal, Latvala first victory this season, his team-mate Sebastien Ogier described as «a victory not the fastest riders.» Then the Frenchman has suffered because of the «Bulldozer trespass» and was unable to catch up with Finn. At the end of the second win Latvala, Ogier was forced to admit — on his home track in Finland, no one could match the speed with Jari-Matti.
It is symbolic that the crushing blows on the positions of their rivals Latvala paid in two passages of the legendary special stage Ouninpohja. His 34.5 kilometers both times Finn was fastest ahead of Chris and Mick first in the fight for second place, and then of Sebastien Ogier in the struggle for leadership. And then to the finish no one was able to get ahead of Jari-Matti.
But, of course, the main interest of the Russian fans has been chained to a popular crew of the Petersburg Alexey Lukyanyuk and Alexei Arnautova. They enlisted the support of the Moscow company «Academy Rally» and have at their disposal a brand-new Ford Fiesta RS WRC — albeit not the latest version Mk2, but a car, not to get to this point, no fighting kilometers.
However, at the pre-launch tests was played real sports tragedy. Ekipazhi- «private traders» are usually tested on their own cars, and simply have no room for error. However, Lucas made this mistake.
The second passage of test runs Ford flew jumping on the wrong path, and after landing, flew into the forest. The crew was not injured, can not be said about the car — the rear section was severely damaged, and worst of all, suffered a safety cage. On participation in the race Alex had to forget...
However, the Rally Finland already been filled with various kinds of troubles — the crews flew out of the top 10 one by one.
Already on the fourth special stage in sixth place Elfin Evans at high speed crashed into a stone and damaged the rear right suspension. The first day of the rally program did not include daily service, so the Welshman had to «limp» on the damaged car all the remaining special stages of the day. He eventually completed the program Friday only twenty.
The next special stage of the race was out... who replaced Evans in sixth position Andreas Mikkelsen. He went off the road and «copied» his Volkswagen Polo R WRC. Back in the race the next day he could not — the car turned into a pile of scrap metal.
You'll laugh, but the new owner of the sixth-place Robert Kubica did not get to start SU6 and descended from the broken generator. But in tough dope «roof» caught Hayden Peddon — gathering, the final.
On the second day the problem of those who came sixth in the table of results, continued. On SU15 Dani Sordo went off the road and got stuck. The Spaniard managed to get on the road and continue the race, but showed only 57 times in the dope and fell to sixth place already on the 13th.
And at the next special stage was mainly accident the race. Walked the third — the best of riders acting in Volkswagen — Citroen driver Kris Meeke made a mistake in one corner and crashed into a tree. An already bad season continued for the Irishman ended another gathering...
After leaving Mick finally formed a dozen of the best — after his accident structure racers in the top 10 did not change, they just change positions with each other.
The winner of the Rally of Finland — as we said — became Jari-Matti Latvala. His teammate Sebastien Ogier Volkswagen Motorsport took second place — another double of the German team. Closed the top three winners Mads Ostberg from Citroen Racing.
Thierry Neuville got to finish fourth — Hyundai Motorsport crews chronically unlucky throughout the race and this result the Belgian was a major success.
Speakers at the Ford Fiesta RS WRC Ott Tyanak, Juho Hanninen and Martin Prokop took place in the end of the fifth to seventh.
Then — two Skoda Fabia R5 Esapekki Lappi and Pontus Tidemanda. Riders Czech team won a double victory in the WRC standings 2. And finally, the last place in the top ten ranked Lorenzo Bertelli.
In the absence of Alexei Lukyanyuk honor of Russia in Finland upheld the other three Russian crew. Unfortunately, Radik Shaimiev did not get to the finish line, but the debutant Sergei Remennik race and his teammate Igor Prospeed Bulantsev passed the finish frame — the first took place 37 and the second finished the race 47th.
The next stage of WRC starts August 20 in Germany.
