Fourmaux leads Hyundai 1-2 after WRC Rally Finland curtain-raiser

Adrien Fourmaux seized the early lead of WRC Rally Finland with a committed run through Thursday evening’s short, sharp Harju kick-off super special.

The Frenchman’s Hyundai i20 N Rally1 stopped the clocks at 2m06.7s on the 1.6-mile, mixed gravel and asphalt test in the center of host city Jyvaskyla, beating teammate Thierry Neuville by 1.1s.

FIA World Rally Championship points leader Elfyn Evans and reigning WRC champ Sebastien Ogier shared third place and best of the five-car Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 factory fleet. They completed the narrow and technical stage 1.2s behind Fourmaux, while only 3.3s separated the leading nine Rally1 crews.

Fourmaux had already shown his speed by going second quickest on Thursday morning’s shakedown, and he delivered when the competitive action began, finding three seconds over the benchmark previously set by Hyundai teammate Esapekka Lappi.

“I really tried to optimize everything,” said Fourmaux. “I remember last year that the gaps were so tight on the long stages and we were losing more on the short stages, so I tried.”

Neuville completed a strong opening evening for Hyundai and was encouraged by the feeling aboard his i20 N ahead of Friday’s high-speed forest stages.

"I’m always hungry,” said the 2024 WRC champ. “It’s not an easy [rally] to win, but let’s try. The feeling is good in the car. There are a lot of new stages and it’s probably the fastest Rally Finland I have ever seen.”

Evans made a solid start as he looks ahead to the prospect of sweeping loose gravel from the road as the opening car on Friday – the downside of leading the WRC points. The Welshman warned that the recent dry weather could make his task more difficult.

“It is probably not going to be ideal as it has been a bit too dry,” he said. “It is what it is. We have to get on with it the best we can.”

WRC points leader Elfyn Evans set third-fastest time on Thursday evening’s short opener. Running first on the road on Friday, he’ll play road sweeper to the cars behind…

Ogier matched Evans on his first competitive stage since being reunited with former co-driver Julien Ingrassia, who was called up to replace an indisposed Vincent Landais for this weekend.

“I’m pleased that Julien is there with me for one more time,” said Ogier of the pacenotes caller he earned eight of his nine WRC titles with. “All week we will have Vincent in the car with us. We will try our best.”

Behind Evans and Ogier, the remaining three factory Toyotas filled fifth to seventh. Takamoto Katsuta, fastest at shakedown, ended Thursday fifth overall and 1.8s from the lead. Home favorite Sami Pajari, who’s hoping to add a Finland victory to his breakthrough Estonia win from two weeks ago, followed one-tenth further back after describing the city streets and parkland paths of the Harju test as “a really special” but difficult stage on which to find time.

Oliver Solberg took seventh after reporting understeer and several small mistakes, while Lappi, M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 pilot Jon Armstrong and WRC2 leader Robert Virves’ Skoda Fabia RS completed the top 10.

Friday brings the first full day of competition, with two loops of the high-speed Laukaa, Saarikas, Sydanmaa and Hoho tests totaling 79.5 competitive miles.

WRC Rally Finland, positions after Thursday/Leg One, SSS1
1 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) 2m06.7s
2 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +1.1s
3 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1.2s
4 Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1.2s
5 Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1.8s
6 Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1.9s
7 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +2.9s
8 Esapekka Lappi/Enni Malkonen (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +3.0s
9 Jon Armstrong/Shane Byrne (Ford Puma Rally1) +3.3s
10 Robert Virves/Jakko Viilo (Skoda Fabia RS – WRC2 leader) +4.1s

• Catch WRC action from all rounds of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship on RACER Network and the RACER+ App. Tune in on Monday, Aug. 3 at 9.00pm ET for full highlights from Rally Finland. 
• RACER Network is also your home for the WRC Magazine show, with new episodes landing on the Thursday before every WRC event. Get up to speed – literally – for Rally Finland at 7.30pm ET on Thursday, July 30.   
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