Massimo Bettiol
Tänak Wins Neste Rally Finland Second Year In A Row
Toyota driver Ott Tänak, co-driven by Martin Järveoja, won the Rally Finland for their second year in a row in the 2019 World Rally Championships.
The World Rally Championship completed its ninth event of the 2019 championship year at Neste Rally Finland. Dubbed the “Grand Prix of Rallying”, the prestigious Rally Finland is known as the fastest event in the World Rally Championship and took place over 4 days between August 1 to August 4. The event was based in Jyväskylä in Keski-Suomi, with just over twenty-three special stages and a total competitive distance of 191.12 miles (307.58 km).
Toyota driver Ott Tänak, co-driven by Martin Järveoja, won the Rally Finland for their second year in a row. The Estonian driver scored 22 points above second place winner, Sébastien Ogier. Reports suggest Ogier suffered a stomach bug throughout the weekend, which may have affected the overall outcome of his performance during this event.
Tänak propelled team Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT into its third consecutive win this year. Since the World Rally Championship kicked off in Monte Carlo this January, the Estonian driver has been inching his way up the leaderboard. Tänak placed third place in Monte Carlo and managed to second place ranking in Mexico. Not to mention, Tänak won the first-ever running of Rally Chile this year. With five events remaining in the Championship, Tänak appears primed to continue his winning streak all the way to Australia.
Current Championship Standings for Drivers
- Ott Tänak 180 points
- Sébastien Ogier 158 points
- Thierry Neuville 155 points
- Elfyn Evans 78 points
- Andreas Mikkelsen 71 points
Youngster Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen took their fourth consecutive victory in the WRC-2 Pro category. Meanwhile, the Russian crew known as Nikolay Gryazin and Yaroslav Fedorov ended up winning the wider WRC-2 class as well as nailing their first WRC point. Additionally, Tom Kristensson and Henrik Appelskog regained the championship lead in the junior category.
The Neste Rally Finland is one of the largest annual events in the Nordic countries and is formerly known as the ‘Thousand Lakes Rally’. The Neste Rally is known for it’s super fast gravel roads, stunning lake scenery, and daring jumps. This popular event is a notoriously difficult track for non-Nordic drivers, and up until the 1980s the field was made up of mostly Finnish and Swedish drivers.
