M-Sport are fired up and ready to fly as the FIA World Rally Championship ventures to the famous jumps of Neste Rally Finland. Despite three victories and an unbroken record of podium finishes, the team are hungry for more. Having crashed from the lead of Rally Poland earlier this month, the team are determined to recover the taste of champagne next week.
Knowing Finland’s fearsome forests and the championship’s formidable competition, another victory won’t come easy but the team are more motivated than ever.
NESTE RALLY FINLAND
THE GRAVEL GRAND PRIX
Commonly known as the Gravel Grand Prix, Rally Finland is fast – seriously fast. Nine of the ten fastest rallies in WRC history have been contested on Finnish soil and the new-generation world rally cars are expected to eclipse them all next week.
But it’s not just the high-speed that makes Rally Finland so special. The route is notoriously technical with a mix of gravel roads and blind corners over crests which demand the upmost precision and confidence.
Pin-point accuracy is required by all members of the team: by the drivers as they expertly land each jump; by the co-drivers as they perfectly time the delivery of every Pacenote; and by the team as they fine-tune the set-up for optimum performance.
With a total distance of 314.20 competitive kilometres, the action starts on Thursday evening with the popular Harju street stage in the centre of Jyväskylä. On Friday, endurance is the name of the game with close to 16 hours of action through classic speed tests such as Jukojärvi, Urria, Laukaa and Lankamaa.
Saturday is the day that everyone will be waiting for as the crews tackle one of rallying’s most famous stages – Ouninpohja. Reversed from last year, the stage is run in its more traditional direction alongside nearby Päijälä and other Finland favourites.
A 33.84 kilometres sprint through four stages east of Lake Päijänne closes the action on Sunday and the stage is set for another epic battle.
MALCOLM WILSON
TEAM PRINCIPAL
Having tackled the super-fast roads of Rally Finland as both a driver and a Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson knows what challenges lay in wait. The Cumbrian sampled the specialist Finnish roads for the first time in 1986 – securing a top-ten finish before returning to compete in both 1990 and 1993.
But it’s as a Team Principal where Wilson has excelled in Finland. In 1996, Jarmo Kytölehto and Arto Kapanen piloted their Malcolm Wilson Motorsport prepared Ford Escort RS Cosworth to a fine third place, and the results have only improved since then.
Teaming up with the Ford Motor Company from 1997 onwards, M-Sport cars have claimed 19 podiums and five wins on Finnish soil. The first victory came with Markko Märtin in 2003. Marcus Grönholm piloted the Focus to back-to-back victories in 2006 and 2007 and Mikko Hirvonen won on home soil in 2009 – as did Jari-Matti Latvala in 2010.
In 2017, Wilson is keen to see his team add to their impressive history at Rally Finland.
Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:
“It’s been a long time since the championship has been this close heading to Rally Finland and that sets the scene for a very interesting event.
“This is a rally that everyone looks forward to – teams, drivers and fans alike – and it’s easy to see why. The speeds and jumps are incredible and, with these new cars, I’m sure that this year’s offering will be something quite spectacular.
“We’ve had a lot of success at Rally Finland over the years, and the whole team has been working hard to ensure we can add to that this year.
“It’s a shame that our test was cut short, but both Ott and Sébastien came away happy having found a good feeling on these specialist roads. I believe that all of our drivers are capable of delivering some very positive results and we’re working to ensure that everyone is as prepared as they can be given the circumstances.
“I’m expecting a very close battle, but that’s what makes this sport so exciting. Needless to say, we’re all looking forward to the fight and hoping to come out on top.”