An Anniversary Rally Turned Toyota Showcase
The Secto Rally Finland's 75th anniversary edition has become a Toyota Gazoo Racing masterclass. After nine competitive stages around Jyväskylä on Friday, Sébastien Ogier and stand-in co-driver Julien Ingrassia lead round ten of the WRC by 16.3 seconds, with all four top positions filled by Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 machinery. Elfyn Evans sits second, home hero Sami Pajari third and Oliver Solberg fourth, as the rally heads into its most demanding day.
Ogier's Friday began with a statement of intent. The eight-time world champion dominated the dry morning loop, winning three of the four high-speed gravel stages to arrive at midday service 5.3 seconds ahead of Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux, the overnight leader after Thursday's super special stage. That advantage looked modest. Then the Finnish sky opened.
A violent rainstorm turned the Saarikas test into a river, with some sections under standing water and visibility reduced to near zero. Drivers running earlier on the stage encountered the worst of it — those coming later found the road drenched but draining. The order behind Ogier was redrawn completely within one stage.
Fourmaux's Dream Turns to Disaster
Adrien Fourmaux bore the heaviest cost. The Hyundai i20 N driver ran first into accumulating water and haemorrhaged 1 minute 29.8 seconds in a single pass, collapsing from second to sixth overall, now 1 minute 24.0 seconds behind Ogier. "I went from second to sixth in one stage," he said after service. "The rain was incredible." His team-mate Esapekka Lappi didn't survive the afternoon either, rolling on stage four with roll cage damage and retiring from the event. For Hyundai, a rally that began with high hopes ended Friday in ruins.
M-Sport Ford also lost Jon Armstrong, who clipped the rear of his Puma Rally1 on stage three and found a ditch. The retirements further concentrated Toyota's grip on the event. Even Pajari, the crowd's favourite, was not immune — a blower malfunction misted his windscreen on stage eight, costing him 34 seconds and stalling his charge toward Ogier's pace. He remains third, still within reach of a historic home podium.
Championship Equation in the Finnish Forests
For WRC points leader Elfyn Evans, Friday was a story of damage limitation rather than dominance. The Welshman recovered from fifth at midday to second overall, benefiting from a less-affected road position in the wet afternoon, but he remains 16.3 seconds in arrears with 123.3 competitive kilometres still to run. Evans entered Finland 25 points clear of second-placed Takamoto Katsuta, who endured what he himself described as a "disaster day" and slipped well down the order. Pajari, third in the title standings at 33 points off Evans, needs a result here to stay in the fight for 2026.
The overall top six after Friday: Ogier, Evans (+16.3s), Pajari (+26.7s), Solberg (+41.3s), Martins Sesks in a lone M-Sport Ford (+1m04.9s) and Fourmaux (+1m24.0s).
Saturday Decides
Saturday's schedule is the rally's longest day on stage: 123.3 competitive kilometres split across eight tests — two runs each of Parkkola (16.76 km), Päijälä (10.55 km), Västilä (19.10 km) and Leustu (16.44 km). Early Saturday morning reports confirmed Ogier continued to press in the opening loop as rivals encountered further problems, hinting that his lead may grow before the afternoon service break.
Evans must find time he has not yet shown against Ogier this week, Pajari must keep Solberg at bay and convert home crowd energy into stage tenths. The Power Stage on Sunday wraps up the 75th Secto Rally Finland before the podium ceremony in Jyväskylä. With four manufacturer teams represented in the top six and a three-way championship fight unresolved, the contest is far from over — but Ogier's margin gives him a substantial cushion heading into the afternoon.