Most liked posts in thread: WRC: Rally Finland (2012)

Crashton · Jul 14, 2012

One of my favorite events, Rally of the 1000 Lakes in old fart speak.

Steve · Jul 14, 2012

Inspiration from 2011.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kDaH7PoD_M]Highlights - 2011 WRC Finland - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Nathan · Jul 14, 2012

That was a pretty long break.

Steve · Jul 14, 2012

Araujo prepares for a new MINI adventure (WRC.com)

13 Jul 12

Never one to be left behind by the opposition, Armindo Araujo will step up to the latest generation MINI John Cooper Works WRC from ADAC Rallye Deutschland next month.

The double Production Car world champion had been driving the 2011-specification model in this seasonâ€™s FIA World Rally Championship but has secured a John Cooper Works WRC 01B, similar to the one used by Dani Sordo since Vodafone Rally de Portugal in March, for the rallies in Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Spain.

Bruno De Pianto, Araujoâ€™s boss at WRC Team MINI Portugal, welcomed the move, especially in a country of such importance to the BMW-owned manufacturer.

â€œWhile MINIs seem at home more or less anywhere in the world, Germany is a country central to the heart and heritage of the car, so where better for WRC Team MINI Portugal to debut the upgraded car,â€ said De Pianto. â€œArmindo will have time before the event to test the car and after finishing eighth overall there in a MINI last year we hope for another good result.â€

The John Cooper Works WRC 01B features more than 100 changes to the original version, including a new exhaust manifold, electrical water pump, fan belt, dampers, plus measures to reduce the overall weight by 10 kilograms such as the fitting of a lithium-ion battery and a lighter rear spoiler.
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Araujo hopeful of WRC form hike (WRC.com)

10 Jul 12

Armindo Araujo is confident of an upturn in form when the FIA World Rally Championship resumes following its summer break.

The WRC Team MINI Portugal star is embarking on his first full schedule of events this season in the John Cooper Works WRC he shares with co-driver and fellow Portuguese Miguel Ramalho.

Araujo, a double Production Car world champion, has singled out the asphalt rounds in Germany, France and Spain as rallies where he believes he can increase his pace.

â€œWe are more confident on second half of season because there are Tarmac events,â€ said the 34-year-old. â€œTarmac is best for us so we will try to push on these rallies.â€

WRC Team MINI Portugal will have embarked on sealed-surface test prior to ADAC Rallye Deutschland as Araujoâ€™s engineer Richard Thompson explained during last monthâ€™s Brother Rally New Zealand, where Araujo finished eighth overall.

â€œI've already sent the set-up sheets, damper and transmission specs for the Tarmac test in Sanremo where we have some good roads which mirror conditions in Germany,â€ said Thompson.

Araujo has a strong record on asphalt rounds of the world championship: he scored his first points driving a MINI on ADAC Rallye Deutschland last season, while two of three PWRC rounds he won in 2010 were on Tarmac.

After seven rounds, Araujo is 13th in the WRC driversâ€™ classification following points finishes in Monte Carlo, Mexico and New Zealand (pictured).
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Steve · Jul 14, 2012

Nathan said: ↑

That was a pretty long break.
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Yup, six weeks.

minirab · Jul 14, 2012

Looking forward to it, always has been the best(especially those damn

yumps!!).

trashmanbob · Jul 15, 2012

GREAT

Thank you for this:wink:

papa-j · Jul 15, 2012

:drool champing at the bit....I've been watching all types of rally footage before bed for two weeks now. Best sleep I have had in a while! The Finnish race footage is a joy. Love the gravel esses :biggrin5:

Thanks for firing up the thread.

Steve · Jul 30, 2012

Rally Finland - Preview (FIA.com)

Press Release | 30/07/2012

Rally Finland, round eight of the FIA World Rally Championship, continues to evolve its event and remains the only rally on the calendar that is condensed into two and half days of intense competition. As such, qualifying will be on Wednesday and the event starts in earnest on Thursday with three stages near Lahti running late afternoon and early evening. Friday and Saturday are both long days and the event concludes with the legendary Ouninpohja stage. Renowned the world over as a roller-coaster ride, Ouninpohja returns to the itinerary in its full and original 33 kilometre length for the first time since 2004.

Recognised as the spiritual home of rallying, Finland provides spectacular action unlike any other event in the series. Fast flowing gravel roads with stomach-churning jumps snake their way through beautiful forests and past hundreds of scenic lakes; hence it previously being known as the 1000 Lakes Rally.

Rally Finland provides a weekend of all-round entertainment for the family, both out on the stages and in the newly-refurbished JyvÃ¤skylÃ¤ service park area. One of its leading themes this year focuses on safety and there will be a number of different initiatives in support of the FIAâ€™s Action for Road Safety campaign.

The event is the fifth round of the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship and the third outing for the FIA WRC Academy Cup crews.

CHANGES TO THE ROUTE SINCE 2011

The 14.22 kilometre MynnilÃ¤ test which will run as the closing stage on Thursday evening was used in 2011 but runs in reverse this year, returning to its more familiar format of the 1980s and 1990s. The Leustu stage (SS14/16) has also changed direction, having never run from south to north previously. Just three stages used back in 2009 are run in the same configuration (MőkkiperÃ¤, PalsankylÃ¤ and the Killeri super special stage) and all remaining stages run with some modifications to previous years.

RALLY DATA

Total distance:
Stage distance:
Number of stages: 1,625.69 km
303.52 km
18

RALLY FINLAND TIMETABLE

Wednesday 1 August
Free Practice (P1 and P2)
Qualifying Stage (P1 and P2)
Selection of Start Positions, Service Park
FIA press conference, Press Room

Thursday 2 August
FIA Action for Road Safety event, Paviljonki WRC Square
Start, Service Park
Rally Show, Lahti Harbour
First car arrives for final service and Media Zone, JyvÃ¤skylÃ¤

Friday 3 August
First car arrives for regroup, service and media zone, JyvÃ¤skylÃ¤
First car arrives for regroup, service and media zone, JyvÃ¤skylÃ¤
FIA Action for Road Safety event, Paviljonki
First car arrives for final service and media zone, JyvÃ¤skylÃ¤
End of day press conference, Service Park

Saturday 4 August
First car arrives for regroup, service and media zone, JyvÃ¤skylÃ¤
First car arrives for regroup, service and media zone, JyvÃ¤skylÃ¤
Prize-giving and podium ceremony (FIA WRC Academy), Service Park
First car arrives for final service and media zone, JyvÃ¤skylÃ¤
Prize-giving and podium ceremony, Service Park

STAGE CHART

Shortly after the finish of the event on Saturday, a downloadable stage chart showing the progressive positions of the leading crews during the rally will be available. This is copyright free for editorial purposes and available at the following link:

Stage Chart
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Steve · Aug 1, 2012

"Sisu" the key for the Finland Grand Prix. (MiniMotorsport.com)

1 August 2012

You need nerves of steel to succeed at the Rally Finland. Three MINI drivers will take on the daunting challenge, while a well-known MINI fan will have her fingers crossed for the MINI contingent.

"Sisu" is the Finnish expression for showing strong nerves â€“ something the participants at the Rally Finland will have to do plenty of. With average speeds of over 120 kilometres per hour, giving the rally its nickname of the "Finland Grand Prix", and incredible jumps that see the cars fly up to 60 metres through the air, Finland is not only the fastest but also one of the most spectacular rallies on the WRC calendar. Anyone not demonstrating enough "Sisu" can abandon any hopes of finishing towards the top of the overall standings at the end of the rally.

From 1st to 4th August, a total of 18 special stages will take the participants at high speed through the captivating Finnish scenery around the university city of Jyvaskyla, in the heart of the country, which also houses the rallyâ€™s service park. This year, the organisers have come up with a course that incorporates 302.82 timed kilometres, which must be mastered from Thursday to Saturday. Every day features a number of hotspots, which offer the spectators the best views of the action. And Finland is not only known for its action on the track, but also off it.

Blind faith in the co-driver.

WRC drivers take more risks here than anywhere else. The high speeds require maximum concentration, while the long jumps demand plenty of courage and a high degree of skill, as the track behind the crest is not visible to the drivers as they approach many of the jumps. Every participant has to know exactly what awaits him. This makes an intensive recce, perfect pace notes and, last but not least, blind faith in the word of the co-driver essential to any success at the Rally Finland.

The rally is also a major challenge from a technical point of view. The many jumps demand harder suspensions settings and a larger spring travel. Despite this, the car should lie as low as possible in the corners and be well balanced, in order to achieve maximum grip. Finland expert and Mini legend Rauno Aaltonen says: "Not many teams have found the right combination for the Rally Finland so far. In particular, the third dimension of driving whilst jumping, as the car is still in the air, is not to be underestimated."

MINI rookie Riku Tahko set to start.

The three MINI driving crews will certainly not underestimate the Rally Finland. Armindo Araujo of WRC Team MINI Portugal is already familiar with the characteristics of the Finnish event and will be making his second outing in Finland, having made his debut in 2011. It is also far from unchartered territory for Armindoâ€™s team-mate Paulo Nobre. The Brazilian will be making his third appearance in the far north of Europe. The man with the most experience of Finland, however, is MINI WRC debutant Riku Tahko. The 27-year-old, who will be in a MINI WRC for the Turkish TOK Sport Team, was born in Finland and grew up on his countryâ€™s quick gravel routes. As such, Riku will not be lacking "Sisu".

"We had some plans to drive a Super 2000 but we struggled to find a nice solution," says Riku. "When we contacted TOK Sport and they said the magic letters WRC." That gave Riku his ticket for the outing in front of his home crowds. Riku made his very first start in the WRC back in 2005 and now lines up in a MINI WRC for the first time thanks to a wildcard. All he is missing are his first points in the Driversâ€™ Championship. However, the qualities possessed by his MINI WRC give Riku every reason to be confident. "Of course the dream would be to collect our first ever WRC point and finish in the top 10," says the MINI rookie, who promises to go all out to fulfil his dream.

Radio presenter and MINI fan Becs Williams to follow the action live.

Finnish rally fans, friends of MINI Motorsport from around the world and the TOK Sport team itself are not the only ones who will be following Rikuâ€™s appearance closely: radio presenter Rebecca Williams is also looking forward to the event. For years WRC fans have known Rebecca by her nickname "Becs", and most recently by her Twitter name "Becsywecsy". Becs often reports around the clock from WRC events all over the world ("only possible with a lot of coffee") â€“ always with a healthy portion of humour, great class and the best possible information. For drivers and teams alike, Becs has long since been a member of the rally family.

"Rally is my passion," says Becs, who has a particularly close relationship with MINI. The walls of her home are adorned with pictures of the classic Mini racing cars, with which Paddy Hopkirk, Timo MÃ¤kinen and Rauno Aaltonen dominated the Rally Monte Carlo in the 1960s. She drives a MINI Cooper and was obviously thrilled when MINI made its comeback in the 2011 WRC. As such, she keeps a close eye on what the teams with the MINI WRC are up to in the World Championship. At the Rally Finland, Becsâ€™ heart will probably beat even faster. Appropriately, she will make her trips to work through the Finnish forests at the wheel of a four-wheel drive MINI Countryman.

When the qualifying stage gets underway at 19:30 on Wednesday, Becs will be back behind the microphone for "WRC Live". The WRC circus then gets down to the serious business with the opening special stage, which starts at 17:23 Finnish time (all times are in local Finnish time: CEST -1) on Thursday. Rally fans will not only be able to get the latest information and updates from Becs Williams on the radio, but also, as always, at Facebook.com/MINImotorsport and Twitter.com/MINImotorsport.
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Steve · Aug 1, 2012

Finland: â€œMore Than A Rallyâ€ (RallySportLive.com)

01/08/2012 10:58 am

Rally Finlandâ€™s 48-hour sprint is due to start on Thursday evening. It may be shortest round of the 2012 campaign but it also promises to be the fastest as teams begin the second half of the championship. Changeable weather could well play a decisive role.

Itâ€™s back to work for rallyingâ€™s superstars this weekend after a short summer break. Itâ€™s been more than five weeks since the teams returned from New Zealand, but they are acutely aware that they will need to hit the ground running when the action in Finland kicks off with three stages (30km) on Thursday evening.

This annual sprint â€“ which the organisers describe as â€œMore Than A Rallyâ€ in their promotional material - continues with 133km of stages on Friday and a further 140km on Saturday, a format which means that all the competitive action has been packed into just 48 hours.

Mikko Hirvonen (CitroÃ«n-Michelin) and Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford-Michelin) will be eager to avenge last yearâ€™s defeat at the hands of SÃ©bastien Loeb (CitroÃ«n-Michelin), so the spectators will have plenty to keep them entertained. However, the outcome of this high-speed showpiece could well be influenced by the weather. According to the forecasters, the spell of sunshine which central Finland is currently enjoying will soon come to an end. This eveningâ€™s shakedown could be wet and showery conditions are expected to continue until the end of the event.

The drivers consequently wonâ€™t be able to afford the slightest error, especially over the infamous Ouninpohja stage (33.01km) which has been included for the first time since 2007. Two attempts at this high-speed classic â€“ covered at an average of more than 130kph in previous years â€“ will bring the rally to an end of Saturday afternoon (SS17 and SS18/Power Stage).

Crews will complete their recce of the stages later today (Wednesday) while the mechanics are putting the finishing touches to their cars in the service park. Shakedown begins at 4pm, followed by the Qualifying Stage at 7:30pm for the Priority 1 and 2 drivers who will announce their choice of start position at 9:30pm.
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Steve · Aug 1, 2012

Latvala reveals Finnish jump secrets (WRC.com)

27 Jul 12

With the start of Neste Oil Rally Finland less than one week away, Ford's Finnish flyer, Jari-Matti Latvala, has revealed some of the secrets behind successfully negotiating the numerous jumps that litter the high-speed route.

Latvala, who won his home round of the FIA World Rally Championship back in 2010, is one of the favourites to win the event from 1-4 August in his factory Ford Fiesta RS WRC. He will need to be at his bravest - and his pace notes as accurate as possible - if heâ€™s to triumph again this season.

â€œWhen you approach a big jump at 180kph itâ€™s essential to kill the speed before take-off,â€ Latvala explains. â€œIf the speed is too high, the aerodynamics will force the back of the car down and the front, which is lighter, will rise. The tactic is to brake, perhaps drop a gear, and accelerate full throttle over the jump. Braking over the jump itself means the suspension isnâ€™t free and the landing could be bad.â€

Jumps will be a key factor on the legendary Ouninpohja, which returns to the Rally Finland itinerary over its full 33.01 kilometres this season. Latvalaâ€™s Ford team-mate Petter Solberg says it will prove crucial to the outcome of the event.

â€œThe rally will be decided over those roads,â€ Solberg insists. â€œItâ€™s incredibly demanding and difficult. Itâ€™s not so technical in the traditional sense, especially on the wide roads. But the speed is so high that if your line isnâ€™t correct over the jumps, itâ€™s easy to make a mistake which an end your rally.â€
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Steve · Aug 1, 2012

Loeb plays safe in road order selection (WRC.com)

01 Aug 12

Sebastien Loeb will start 10th on the road on the opening day of Neste Oil Rally Finland, round eight of the FIA World Rally Championship, as the leading drivers opted to play safe rather than make any bold choices.

Loeb, who heads the Citroen Total World Rally Team and holds a comfortable advantage in the WRC driversâ€™ standings, said uncertainty over the weather had resulted in him opting for what he described as a â€œsafe choiceâ€.

â€œIt was very difficult to choose,â€ said the eight-time world champion, who earned the right to select his starting position first after he went fastest on the Qualifying Stage earlier today. â€œWe know if itâ€™s dry itâ€™s better to be behind and if itâ€™s wet itâ€™s better to be in front. We donâ€™t know exactly for the weather so we choose in the middle because we expect some rain in some moments but not always. Finally [my main rivals] are doing nearly all the same and after 10 cars there shouldnâ€™t be a big difference so we should nearly be all equal.â€

Finnish hero Jari-Matti Latvala has opted to start 11th on Thursdayâ€™s opening trio of stages in his works Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

â€œNormally you would want to be close to the top four but the problem is the stages around Lahti will be very dry and you could easily lose 10 or 15 seconds,â€ said Latvala. â€œWith the cars now so equal it would be very difficult to make up that time. We did a risky game in New Zealand but that did not work so here we wanted to play safe.â€

Mikko Hirvonen will line up in 12th in the second factory Citroen with Petter Solberg one place behind for the factory Ford team. Evgeny Novikov will start 14th with Mads Ostberg 15th, Thierry Neuville 16th and Chris Atkinson 17th.

Sebastian Lindholm, competing on his first world championship rally since 2007, will go first on the road followed by WRC Team MINI Portugal duo Paolo Nobre and Armindo Araujo. Monster World Rally Teamâ€™s Ken Block has selected fourth spot with World Rally Car newcomer Riku Tahko fifth. However, event stewards reserve the right to adjust the starting order on grounds of safety.

The opening stage, Koukunmaa, gets underway at 17:23hrs local time on Thursday.

The top 17 starters are as follows:*

1 Sebastian Lindholm (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

2 Paolo Nobre (MINI John Cooper Works WRC)

3 Armindo Araujo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC)

4 Ken Block (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

5 Riku Tahko (MINI John Cooper Works WRC)

6 Martin Prokop (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

7 Matti Rantanen (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

8 Jari Ketomaa (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

9 Ott Tanak (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

10 Sebastien Loeb (Citroen DS3 WRC)

11 Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

12 Mikko Hirvonen (Citroen DS3 WRC)

13 Petter Solberg (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

14 Evgeny Novikov (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

15 Mads Ostberg (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

16 Thierry Neuville (Citroen DS3 WRC)

17 Chris Atkinson (Citroen DS3 WRC)

* Subject to final confirmation
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Crashton · Aug 2, 2012

Too bad the MINI's are the road sweepers. Quite a disadvantage right from the start. :frown2:

Steve · Aug 2, 2012

Unfortunately, not much going on here from the MINI camp. Araujo is 23rd, new boy Tahko 24th, Nobre 45th.

There should be lots of great video anyway. That is, whenever people started uploading. I'll see what I can find. In the meantime I'll just post up the summaries.

Thursday wrap: Flying Loeb leads in Finland (WRC.com)

02 Aug 12

Sebastien Loeb leads Neste Oil Rally Finland, round eight of the FIA World Rally Championship, following the opening three special stages around Lahti this evening.

Driving a Citroen Total World Rally Team DS3 WRC, the eight-time world champion holds an advantage of 7.3s ahead of Fridayâ€™s action getting underway with the 12.75-kilometre Urria stage at 07:42hrs local time.

Loeb, who chose to run 10th on the road following Wednesday nightâ€™s Qualifying Stage, set the pace through the opening Koukunmaa run to take a lead of 1.6s to the Jokimaa superspecial, which Petter Solberg won in his Ford World Rally Team Fiesta RS WRC to narrow the Frenchmanâ€™s advantage to 1.5s.

But a stunning time by Loeb through stage three, the 14.22-kilometre Mynnila test, has enabled the world championship leader to edge slightly clear in his bid for a third victory in Finland.

â€œI feel well in the car at the moment and I tried really hard,â€ said Loeb. â€œI know I can fight for the victory, the feeling was good and I took the opportunity to go flat out. But there are a lot of Finnish drivers wanting the victory as well so I will try my best.â€

Finns Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen are tied on time in second and third places respectively with Solberg slipping to sixth after he struggled through stage three with traction issues. Rising stars Mads Ostberg, who was second fastest through stage three, and Thierry Neuville - third quickest on stage one - are fourth and fifth respectively heading to the overnight halt in Jyvaskyla.

Australian Chris Atkinson, driving a DS3 WRC for the first time, was satisfied with his pace on his first start in Finland since 2008 and only his second appearance of the 2012 season. He is seventh overall ahead of Russian Evgeny Novikov and Estoniaâ€™s Ott Tanak. Meanwhile, Jari Ketomaa said he struggled for rear-end grip on high-speed corners, which resulted in a few brief off-road moments. The Finn completes the top 10 for the Autotek Motorsport squad.

Matti Rantanen stalled the engine of his Fiesta at the start of stage one before opting for a cautious approach on his first event since Rally Finland 12 months ago. He is 14th overnight. Ken Block momentarily tipped his Monster World Rally Team Fiesta onto two wheels when he ran wide into a bank on the opening test. The Rally Finland newcomer and Gymkhana star, who is 17th overall, said he needed to work on improving his pace notes.

Finnish privateer Riku Tahko, competing in a World Rally Car for the first time, was the fastest of the three MINI John Cooper Works WRCs through stage one as WRC Team MINI Portugal drivers Armindo Araujo and Paulo Nobre concentrated on refining set-up and gaining confidence with their pace notes on the high-speed gravel stages. However, Tahko dropped behind Araujo on stage three as he struggled to see through his windscreen - damaged on the superspecial - in the low-lying sun.

Sebastian Lindholm, the 51-year-old Finnish veteran, spent the day opening the road at the head of the field in his privateer Fiesta and reported that he struggled in the slippery conditions caused by the loose surface gravel. Martin Prokop also complained about the lack of grip starting sixth on the road. The Czech is 11th overall, one place ahead of Volkswagen Motorsportâ€™s Sebastien Ogier.

Impressive Finnish wildcard Esapekka Lappi, 21, moved into the lead of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship division with the fastest category time on the Jokimaa superspecial in Lahti and extended his advantage over title leader Hayden Paddon with another strong run through Mynnila. PROTON driver P-G Andersson is third in class with Craig Breen fourth.

Elfyn Evans topped the FIA WRC Academy after two stages with a lead of 5.3s over fellow Briton Alastair Fisher.
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Steve · Aug 3, 2012

Mid-day Friday the MINI drivers are still on the road, which explains their movement upward on the standings while others are breaking down, etc, and falling back.

Tahko is now 19th, Araujo 21st, Nobre 36th.

Friday midday wrap: Loeb heads close Finland fight (WRC.com)

03 Aug 12

Sebastien Loeb remains on course for his third victory on Neste Oil Rally Finland. But with Citroen team-mate Mikko Hirvonen five seconds behind heading into the final loop of four stages today, the battle for top spot remains wide open.

Frenchman Loeb and Finnish hero Hirvonen have been evenly matched for much of day two of the FIA World Rally Championship qualifier with Hirvonen taking three stage victories and Loeb managing a brace in their identical works DS3 WRCs. The only cause for concern for the French make was the rear differential glitch Loeb reported at the end of stage eight.

Jari-Matti Latvala is the leading Ford driver in third place, one position ahead of team-mate Petter Solberg. Latvala struggled for confidence this morning but his second-best time on stage eight signalled an upturn in form following set-up changes.

Mads Ostberg blamed set-up issues for his failure to overhaul Solberg in his Adapta-run Fiesta. He nevertheless holds a strong fifth place with Thierry Neuville sixth for the Citroen Junior World Rally Team.

Ott Tanak is seventh in his semi-works M-Sport Fiesta with Jari Ketomaa up to eighth despite a persistent engine misfire hampering his Autotek Fiesta. Matti Rantanen and Martin Prokop complete the top 10 in their privateer Fiestas.

Chris Atkinson was in eighth overall, having lost time with an intercom glitch this morning, when he left the road on stage eight after mishearing a pace note. He lost significant time when his Qatar World Rally Team Citroen got stuck on a tree stump.

Evgeny Novikov was also out of luck, rolling twice on stage two. Despite inflicting significant cosmetic damage to his Fiesta he was able to continue although his co-driver Denis Giraudet is nursing a sore back, the result of a heavy landing on the previous stage.

Esapekka Lappi leads the Super 2000 World Rally Championship from P-G Andersson and Craig Breen. Hayden Paddon, who topped the driversâ€™ standings prior to the rally, retired with engine failure.

In the chase for WRC Academy honours, Elfyn Evans is more than one minute in front of Pontus Tidemand. Title leader Alastair Fisher was second when a throttle issue put him out. He hopes to return under Rally 2 rules on Saturday.
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Steve · Aug 3, 2012

Steve · Aug 3, 2012

Ken Block's pre-rally vlogs:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gbVaQCFPeA]Ken Block's WRC Finland Vlog: Episode 1 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDw617iU0rE]Ken Block's WRC Finland Vlog: Episode 2 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Mk4UNObJI]Ken Block's WRC Finland Vlog: Episode 3 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Aug 3, 2012

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA2K_m0gv8o[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMEjmQNVPXQ[/ame]

Steve · Aug 3, 2012

MINI driver standing after Day 2: 17 Tahko, 18 Araujo, 60 Nobre...

Friday wrap: Loeb heads close Finland fight (WRC.com)

03 Aug 12

Five seconds will separate Citroen chargers Sebastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen in the race for success on Neste Oil Rally Finland, round eight of the FIA World Rally Championship, which concludes with six ultra-fast gravel stages on Saturday.

Loeb and Hirvonen have fought a close battle for glory throughout day two in their factory DS3 WRCs. While Loeb has remained in front, a rear differential glitch and a rare driving error on todayâ€™s penultimate test have helped to ensure the flying Hirvonen remains firmly in the fight for victory.

â€œItâ€™s a long final day tomorrow and we will see what we can do,â€ said Loeb. â€œThe gap is so small, it will be a hard fight but we have to do it correctly.â€

Hirvonen, chasing his first win for Citroen and his second on home soil, said: â€œI was pushing really hard and so was Sebastien. Little by little I have taken time out of him. It will be a big fight tomorrow but I am confident.â€

Jari-Matti Latvala is the top Ford driver in third overall although the Finn admits his pace has not been fast enough to threaten the top two crews. â€œI did only one mistake but the time is not there and there is nothing else I can do,â€ said Latvala. â€œAnything can happen but I canâ€™t take any more speed anywhere.â€

Petter Solberg, in the second works Ford is fourth after going fastest on the penultimate test. His fellow Norwegian Mads Ostberg is a strong fifth despite set-up issues in the morning and brake issues in the afternoon. Ostberg had been in a close battle with Thierry Neuville until the Citroen Junior driver failed to hear a pace note on the penultimate stage and roll into a retirement.

Ott Tanak is sixth after a cautious run through the afternoon stages after he used his only spare tyre following a puncture on the repeat of the Mokkipera test. Jari Ketomaa has been dogged by a persistent misfire for much of the day but completes in seventh place for Autotek Motorsport. Matti Rantanen is eighth with Martin Prokop ninth and Ken Block climbing to 10th for the Monster World Rally Team.

â€œI was absolutely loving the stages on the second pass,â€ said the Gymkhana star, who moved ahead of Sebastien Ogier when the Volkswagen Motorsport driver was slowed by a front-right suspension failure. â€œI had confidence with the pace notes and after being called a grandma by my engineer for my slower driving this morning I knew I had to do more in the afternoon.â€

Chris Atkinson was in eighth overall, having lost time with an intercom glitch this morning, when he left the road on stage eight after mishearing a pace note. He lost several minutes when his Qatar World Rally Team Citroen got stuck on a tree stump. The Australian eventually retired from the day when he damaged the front-right of his car striking a rock on stage nine.

Evgeny Novikov was also out of luck, rolling twice on stage two. Despite inflicting significant cosmetic damage to his Fiesta he was able to continue although his co-driver Denis Giraudet spent the rest of the day nursing a sore back, the result of a heavy landing on the todayâ€™s opening test.

Riku Tahko is the leading MINI John Cooper Works WRC driver despite spinning at a junction on the penultimate test. Armindo Araujo was able to make improvements to the set-up of his WRC Team MINI Portugal entry. However, his team-mate Paulo Nobre retired on stage 10 when he went off the road and got stuck.
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