2002 FIA World Rally Championship
2002 Neste Rally Finland - http://www.akkry.fi/nesterallyfinland/
Round 9 of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship, 8-11th August
Extract from Official FIA Press Release -
http://www.fia.com/
FINAL POSITIONS AT END OF RALLY (AFTER SS22)
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 3h 17m 52.5
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot +1m 27.3
3 Solberg (N) Subaru +2m 49.6
4 Sainz (E) Ford +2m 53.8
5 Martin (EE) Ford +3m 10.0
6 Makinen (FIN) Subaru +4m 34.1
7 Lindholm (FIN) Peugeot +5m 36.4
8 Paasonen (FIN) Mitsubishi +5m 55.3
9 Loix (B) Hyundai +6m 07.8
10 Loeb (F) Citroen +6m 13.6
GROUP N FINAL POSITIONS
1 Miettinen (FIN) Mitsubishi 3h 40m 03.3
2 Svedlun (S) Mitsubishi +1m 24.2
3 *Fiorio (I) Mitsubishi +2m 38.5
4 Laatunen (FIN) Mitsubishi +5m 28.7
5 *Sohlberg (FIN) Mitsubishi +5m 47.6
6 *Singh (MAL) Mitsubishi +7m 08.1
*competing in the FIA WRC for Production Cars
[WRC] Neste Rally Finland: Final
Marcus Gronholm claimed his third FIA World Rally Championship win of the year today, and also completed a hat trick of victories at a bright and sunny final day on Rally Finland. The Finn's success has strengthened his championship lead to 17 points. Gronholm enjoyed a comfortable final day, and was handed a further bonus when championship rival Colin McRae was forced to retire from third place, after his Ford Focus caught fire at the end of stage 20. Fellow Briton Richard Burns was runner-up, and enjoyed a similarly straightforward run to the finish. The main battle of the day took place between Subaru's Petter Solberg and Ford's Carlos Sainz, who fought tooth and nail for what became third place. Exuberance overcame experience on this occasion, as Solberg took the place by a scant 4.2s after three days, and more than 400 kilometres of competitive driving. Markko Martin took fifth place, and Tommi Makinen finally got himself into the points on the day that counts. He finished sixth. Other notable finishers include Peugeot privateer Sebastian Lindholm, in an excellent seventh, and former world champion Timo Salonen in 14th. The 50-year-old made an enjoyable one-off return to the sport in another privately entered 206 WRC.
PEUGEOT
Technical: The remaining Peugeot 206 WRCs of Richard Burns and Marcus Gronholm have been reliable today. Both drivers were careful to not to push the cars harder than necessary, given the comfortable margin between them and third place.
Sporting: Richard Burns won the day's opening stage by 0.2s from Markko Martin, Gronholm was third, just 0.5s behind the Briton. Thereafter the pair paced themselves, and the overall gap changed little by the end of the rally. Two of the three stages used on Sunday had not been used since 1997, and another was completely new, so in common with others, Burns and Gronholm were cautious on the new terrain. The pair allowed themselves one last sprint through the forests on the final stage, setting joint-fastest time.
Quotes: Marcus Gronholm said: ãIt looks good when you see the championship points, and I'm really looking forward to the next two [asphalt] rallies.
FORD
Technical: The Focus RS WRC02 of Colin McRae caught fire at the end of SS20. The crew realised the car was alight 500 metres before the end of the stage. They completed the test, but the blaze caught hold quickly. McRae and co-driver Nicky Grist escaped unhurt. Carlos Sainz and Markko Martin enjoyed a reliable run today. Sainz had one technical problem, when he picked up a puncture on SS18, and the run-flat mousse system in his Pirelli tyre deformed during the stage. Markko Martin regrets his decision to use a different set-up on day one of the rally, but says he has learnt his lesson for next time.
Sporting: Until the fire, McRae held a comfortable third place on Sunday, and took his first stage win of the event on SS18. Carlos Sainz spent the day locked in combat with Subaru's Petter Solberg in a fight for what became third place. He was furious with himself when he lost 10s to a jump-start penalty on SS18. The Spaniard said it was the first time in his career it had ever happened. Solberg passed Sainz in SS19, and between SS20-21 the Norwegian built a small advantage. Sainz was faster on the final stage, but it was not enough to re-claim the place when his penalty was taken into account. Markko Martin pushed hard with new-found confidence, but although he claimed stage wins on SS20 and SS21, he had a lonely day for fifth place.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: ãI'm very disappointed, this should have been an easy third place.
Markko Martin said: ãTo be honest I'm a bit disappointed, because I expected better. It's a shame about Colin's retirement, but I'm happy to score some points.
SUBARU
Technical: Subaru's Impreza WRC2002s have been reliable today. Tommi Makinen remained unhappy with his engine's performance. Sporting director George Donaldson has promised a full investigation after the rally, saying that sometimes it is possible to have a problem that is not immediately obvious. The team plans back-to-back tests after the event. Additionally, Makinen evaluated a range of chassis set-ups that may be used later this year. Petter Solberg had no technical problems today.
Sporting: Solberg started the day in fifth, and lost a small amount of time to fourth-placed Carlos Sainz on the first two tests. But after Sainz's 10s penalty, and his first stage win of the event on SS19, the young Norwegian claimed fourth, which became third after McRae's fire. He overcame his nerves to maintain his position on the final stage, and take his second career podium. Makinen was unable to make any time on Markko Martin, but maintained a comfortable margin to Peugeot privateer Sebastian Lindholm, and claimed a single point for his efforts.
Quotes: Tommi Mäkinen said: ãIt's been a while since we finished, but we will have to work hard to catch the others on gravel.
Petter Solberg said: ãI've never been so nervous before a last stage, I've been through some battles like this before, but this was the worst! I'm very happy.
HYUNDAI
Technical: The remaining Accent WRC3s of Armin Schwarz and Freddy Loix had no technical problems today. Loix changed his differential at last night's 45-minute service, but there is no other mechanical news to report.
Sporting: Loix began the day in 10th place, but quickly fell victim to a charging Thomas Radstrom, who passed him on SS18. The Belgian had no answer to the improved Citroen, until Radstrom crashed. Later on, he also came under attack by Radstrom's team-mate, Sebastien Loeb, who closed to within 5.8s of Loix at the finish. Armin Schwarz was running first on the road, and during the day's opening three stages, he struggled on the loose gravel. To prove the point, he was 12s faster on SS20, when the Keuruu stage was repeated. He dropped time to Skoda's Toni Gardemeister during the day, but maintained a huge margin to former world champion Timo Salonen, who was making a one-off rallying comeback.
Quotes: Freddy Loix said: ãIt was quite a good rally for us apart from yesterday when I lost 30-seconds in the morning, but otherwise it's been fantastic. The Hyundai will keep getting better.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: Alister McRae's Lancer Evolution WRC retired today after hitting a rock on SS18 and damaging the rear suspension. The car could have been driven slowly out of the stage, but the crew decided it would be unfair, and dangerous for other competitors. Jani Paasonen's Lancer was reliable today.
Sporting: Jani Paasonen set fourth fastest time on the first stage of the day, the car's best result on the rally. The Finn took advantage of retirements to climb the order, and he nearly caught eighth-placed Sebastian Lindholm on the final stage, who was delayed by a broken half-shaft. Had Thomas Radstrom not crashed his Citroen on SS21, the Swede may have caught Paasonen.
Quotes: Jani Paasonen said: ãI'm happy to finish with an undamaged car, and to have set a few good stage times.
SKODA
Technical: Toni Gardemeister's Octavia WRC was reliable today. The Finn was able to drive to his maximum for all six stages on the final day of Rally Finland.
Sporting: Gardemeister began the day in 14th place and stretched his lead over Armin Schwarz behind him. He profited from the retirements of Radstrom and Colin McRae, but could not catch Ford privateer Janne Tuohino. He finished his home rally 12th.
Quotes: Toni Gardemeister said: ãI've had some really good fun today, I've been flat out everywhere, big cuts even destroying some signs! I've tried to go less sideways than yesterday, but there was no choice other than to go flat out, which suited me.
CITROEN
Technical: Overnight set-up changes to the Xsara WRCs proved effective on the opening stages, and Thomas Radstrom said the car felt completely different, with no understeer anymore. His rally ended in SS20, when he slid off the road on a tight left-hand bend, and hit a birch tree, ripping off a wheel. Team-mate Sebastien Loeb enjoyed a trouble-free run to the end.
Sporting: Radstrom began the day strongly, and passed Janne Tuohino and Freddy Loix to claim 10th place. He began to catch Paasonen, before his accident ended the run. Loeb ran a similar pace to his team-mate, and progressed to ninth place at the end, 5.8s behind Loix.
Quotes: Sebastien Loeb said: ãIt's a first experience for all the team and now will work to find solutions for next year. We know what sort of roads we need to do some work on now.
OTHER ENTRIES
Top privateer on Rally Finland, Sebastian Lindholm had a late scare, when a half-shaft on his Peugeot 206 WRC broke before the final stage. He completed the test with three wheel drive, but managed to retain his impressive seventh place. The next best privateer was fellow Finn, Janne Tuohino, driving a Ford Focus RS WRC01.
Group N was won by overnight leader Jarkko Miettinen, in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI. His winning margin was almost exactly the same as overall victor, Marcus Gronholm. It was the Finn's first time on this event in a four-wheel drive car, and he was particularly delighted, having had a trouble free event. Alex Fiorio claimed his first FIA World Rally Championship for Production Cars victory, from Kristian Sohlberg, championship leader Karamjit Singh, and Alfredo De Dominicis.
RALLY STATISTICS
STARTERS: 36 crews (20 Group A and 16 Group N) started this morning.
RETIREMENTS: A.McRae (GB), C.McRae (GB), Radstrom (S), and 3 other drivers
TODAY:
Sunday 11 August
Leg 3 started from Jyvaskyla at 07h20 and covered 362.77km, including 94.36km on six special stages.
STAGE WINNERS
SS17 KEURUU 1 (11.80km)
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 5m 28.2
2 Martin (EE) Ford 5m 28.5
3 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 5m 28.7
LEADERS AFTER SS17
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 2h 37m 55.8
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 2h 39m 29.6
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 2h 40m 25.4
SS18 JUKOJARVI 1 (22.71km)
1 C.McRae (GB) Ford 11m 11.2
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 11m 11.6
2= Sainz (E) Ford 11m 11.6
4 Solberg (N) Subaru 11m 13.9
LEADERS AFTER SS18
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 2h 49m 11.1
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 2h 50m 41.2
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 2h 51m 36.6
SS19 KRUUNUNPERA 1 (12.67km)
1 Solberg (N) Subaru 6m 06.4
2 Martin (EE) Ford 6m 07.1
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 6m 08.4
LEADERS AFTER SS19
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 2h 55m 19.9
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 2h 56m 50.5
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 2h 57m 45.0
SS20 KEURUU 1 (11.80km)
1 Martin (EE) Ford 5m 20.9
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 5m 21.9
3 Solberg (N) Subaru 5m 22.0
LEADERS AFTER SS20
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 3h 00m 43.3
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 3h 02m 12.4
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 3h 03m 11.4
SS21 JUKOJARVI 1 (22.71km)
1 Martin (EE) Ford 11m 02.4
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 11m 05.2
3 Solberg (N) Subaru 11m 05.2
LEADERS AFTER SS21
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 3h 11m 50.3
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 3h 13m 17.6
3 Solberg (N) Subaru 3h 14m 36.8
SS22 KRUUNUNPERA 1 (12.67km)
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 6m 02.2
1= Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 6m 02.2
3 Martin (EE) Ford 6m 02.7
OVERALL RALLY STATISTICS
EVENT: The rally covered 1703.32km, including 401.68km on 22 special stages (including seven run twice). All stages were on gravel roads closed to other traffic.
STARTERS: 77 cars (35 Group A and 42 Group N) started the rally
FINISHERS: 30 cars (17 Group A and 13 Group N) finished the rally
STAGE WINNERS:
Burns (SS1-3-5-6-7-9-11-16-17-18-22)
Grönholm (SS2-8-13-14-15-22)
Rovanperä (SS4-12)
Sainz (SS10)
Solberg (SS19)
Martin (SS20-21)
RALLY LEADERS:
Burns (SS1)
Grönholm (SS2-3)
Burns (SS4-11)
Rovanperä (SS12)
Grönholm (SS13-22)
FIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (provisional standings after 9 of 14 rounds):
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers:
Grönholm (FIN) 47, C.McRae (GB) 30, Sainz (E) 26, Burns (GB) 25, Panizzi (F) 21, Solberg (N) 19, Rovanperä (FIN) 18, Mäkinen (FIN) 15, Martin (EE) 9, Loeb (F) 8, Bugalski (F) 7, Radstrom (S) 4, A. McRae (GB) 2, Gardemeister (FIN) 2, Eriksson (S) 1.
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers:
Peugeot 77, Ford 55, Subaru 35, Mitsubishi 6, Skoda 5, Hyundai 4.
FIA Junior World Rally Championship (after 3 of 6 rounds, this event not counting):
Sola (E) 13, Tuohino (FIN 12, Dallavilla (I) 12, Duval (B) 11, Caldani (I) 10, Basso (I) 4, Feghali (RL) 4, Galli (I) 3, Carlsson (S) 3, Doppelreiter (A) 2, Rowe (GB) 2, Foss (N) 1, Schelle (D) 1.
FIA World Rally Championship of Production Cars (after 6 of 8 rounds):
Singh (MAL) 28, Ferreyros (PE) 20, Sohlberg (FIN) 16, Fiorio (I) 13, Arai (12), Trelles (ROU) 12, Iliev (BG) 9, Rowe (GB) 5, Baldini (I) 4, Kollevold (N) 3, DeDominicis (I) 3, Harrach (A) 2, Ligato (RA) 2, Marrini (I) 2. Subject to compliance with the championship regulation.
LEADERS AT END OF LEG TWO (AFTER SS16)
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 2h 32m 27.1
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot +1m 34.3
3 C McRae (GB) Ford +2m 22.9
4 Sainz (E) Ford +2m 42.8
5 Solberg (N) Subaru +2m 51.5
6 Martin (EE) Ford +3m 18.9
7 Makinen (FIN) Subaru +4m 07.5
8 Lindholm (FIN) Peugeot +4m 23.8
9 Paasonen (FIN) Mitsubishi +5m 13.2
10 Loix (B) Hyundai +5m 18.1
[WRC] Neste Rally Finland: End of Leg Two
Day two of Rally Finland, the ninth round of the FIA World Rally Championship was full of drama for pacesetter Peugeot, but the French manufacturer still ended it one-two after six special stages today. Finnish driver, and winner of this event for the past two years, Marcus Gronholm, has a comfortable lead of more than a minute and a half from second placed Richard Burns. The Englishman lost his lead after landing heavily from a jump on the famous Ouninpohja test. He lost boost pressure for the rest of the stage, dropping more than a minute. The third Peugeot of Harri Rovanpera fared even worse. He punctured at the beginning of the event's longest stage, and the resulting damage to his suspension and bodywork forced the bitterly disappointed Finn out. Subaru's Petter Solberg lost places to Ford duo Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae on the day's opening stage. He recovered fifth place from Sainz on the penultimate test, but spun on the last stage, handing the position back. Estonian Markko Martin fought hard, to end the day sixth, whilst Finnish favourite Tommi Makinen continued to struggle. The event ends tomorrow, after another six stages.
PEUGEOT
Technical: The Peugeot 206 WRC of Harri Rovanpera retired from the lead on a road section after SS13 today, after he suffered a puncture early into the longest stage of the day. Having completed some 30km on the wheel rim, his car's suspension and bodywork were too badly damaged to continue. Richard Burns damaged his 206 WRC when he landed heavily from a jump on SS12, the famous Ouninpohja test. Damage to the front of the car was superficial, but he was forced to complete SS12 with no turbo boost after the impact. Marcus Gronholm's car has been reliable. He had several punctures, but in every case he was able to continue without losing too much time. After SS12 he decided to disconnect Peugeot's hydraulic anti-roll bars, reckoning he may have a better feel for the car without them.
Sporting: Richard Burns set fastest time on the day's first stage, but then lost a minute and half after his heavy landing on SS12. He was also penalised a further 20s after leaving service two minutes late before the start of SS13. He dropped to third place, but regained second when Rovanpera retired. Marcus Grönholm now holds a 1m34.3s from Burns, and whilst team boss Corrado Provera has not introduced team orders, he has said that he expects his drivers to be professional, given the situation.
Quotes: Richard Burns said: "I took a jump flat-out which I take every year and it landed very hard on the nose. It's maximum attack with safety now, it's a bit stupid to take chances now when Marcus's lead is that big.
FORD
Technical: The Focus RS WRC02s of Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, and Markko Martin have been mainly reliable again today. Ford also appears to have made better tyre choices than Pirelli rival, Subaru today. Markko Martin battled against a severe vibration on the final 15km of SS13, after the run-flat mousse in his tyre broke-up. Sainz snagged his front wing on SS14, but the problem was rectified at the following service.
Sporting: Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz began the day 4.5s and 6.6s behind Petter Solberg, but both drivers were able to catch and pass the Norwegian. They passed him on SS12, to claim fourth and fifth place. Sainz was re-passed for fourth on SS15 but regained the place after Solberg spun on SS16. Markko Martin made good progress, passing both Tommi Makinen and Freddy Loix on the first stage of the day for eighth place. He traded times with privateer Sebastian Lindholm, before passing him on SS14, when the Finn's driveshaft broke. All three drivers gained a place when Rovanpera retired, which added to a strong team performance.
Quotes: Carlos Sainz said: ãWe're having a close battle with Colin and Petter but unfortunately it's for the second division.
Markko Martin said: äI've been pleased with my times today, and tomorrow we'll try to continue as fast as we can.
SUBARU
Technical: Both Subaru Impreza WRC2002s have been reliable today. Like yesterday, Petter Solberg was unhappy with his tyre choices this morning, suggesting that his Pirelli's are too soft, and that the tread is breaking up on the stages. He chose a harder tyre for the last two stages of the day, which performed better. Tommi Makinen continues to be disappointed with the performance of his Impreza. The cause of smoke, which was entering the cabin of his car yesterday, has been traced to an oil breather pipe, which worked loose. It did not affect the performance of the car. Makinen reported a bad tyre vibration after 15km of SS13, the event's longest stage.
Sporting: Petter Solberg has fought against the Fords of Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz today. He had no specific complaints with his car, apart from his choice of tyre. He lost places to them both this morning, and then recovered his place to Sainz on SS15. On the next and final stage of the day, he spun and handed the position back to the Spaniard. Makinen lost a place to Markko Martin on the day's first stage, but passed Sebastian Lindholm when the Peugeot privateer lost drive to his rear wheels on SS14. On SS16 he also spun and lost a few seconds whilst recovering.
Quotes: Tommi Mäkinen said: ãThe car is performing better, but it's still tough to build up the momentum to fight 100 percent. We came here to fight for the lead, but now I'm just trying to get points.
HYUNDAI
Technical: The Accent WRC3 of Juha Kankkunen retired after a roll on the first stage of the day, SS11. Freddy Loix reported a braking problem during the morning stages, which caused the car to pull sideways under braking. Armin Schwarz's reported a similar braking problem at the end of the day. He was also using a different specification of shock absorber this morning, which he was happier with than the set-up he used yesterday.
Sporting: Kankkunen began the day in 10th place, but just 4.3s behind eighth placed Tommi Makinen. He chose to push hard, but slid wide on a twisty section of SS11 and turned over. The car was driveable, but the damage was too great to continue. Armin Schwarz was pleased with his 10th fastest time on SS12, but admitted he could do no better. Freddy Loix was not as happy with the performance of his Accent today. The brakes were changed after SS12, but the car was still going too sideways for the Belgian's liking. After SS14, new differentials were fitted in an attempt to remedy the problem.
Quotes: Juha Kankkunen said: ãWe decided to go for it, there is no point in being here if you don't try. We slide wide and the rear wheel on Juha's side dropped into a deep ditch. It caught and the car went onto its roof in the middle of the road
MITSUBISHI
Technical: The two remaining Lancer Evolution WRCs both completed the day, but Alister McRae lost 20 minutes on the final stage of the day. He hit a rock and ripped off a wheel. The impact damaged a shock absorber, which caught fire after it leaked oil. A fire truck was sent into SS16, and McRae eventually restarted. Jani Paasonen reported no technical problems.
Sporting: Bright sunshine beaming directly into the eyes of Jani Paasonen slowed the Finn on the day's opening stage. He improved by three places, to 10th today, thanks to retirements, and a strong performance on SS15, where he passed Freddy Loix. Alister McRae enjoyed the fast and spectacular Finnish stages, and passed Skoda's Toni Gardemeister to gain three places before his end of day disaster.
Quotes: Jani Paasonen said: ãThe car is going well, no problems, although we had a few moments just from pushing so hard. I took a bit too rough lines, cut some corners, and went into one or two ditches, but I lost no time.
Alister McRae said: ãA rock in the road took a wheel off and set fire to the suspension. We had to put the fire out and then fit a new wheel.
SKODA
Technical: The remaining Octavia WRC of Toni Gardemeister had several small problems today. Gardemeister pulled over before the start of SS12 to repair a faulty fuel pressure sensor. On the road section to SS13 the problem reoccurred. On SS14, surging hydraulic differential pressure made the car difficult to drive. Gardemeister also tried stiffer spings on SS13 and SS14.
Sporting: Gardemeister received a one-minute penalty at the start of SS12, he was six minutes late at the time control, having fixed the fuel pressure sensor. He dropped behind Sebastien Loeb, Alister McRae and Armin Schwarz after his time penalty, but recovered to 14th ahead of Schwarz, and the troubled McRae, at the end of the day.
Quotes: Toni Gardemeister said: ãI've tried hard today, but it doesn't show in the times. Tomorrow we'll continue to go flat-out.
CITROEN
Technical: Both Citroen Xsara WRCs have been reliable today. The team continues to try different settings in readiness for a return to Finland next year. Sebastien Loeb tried different springs on SS13 and SS14, with mixed results.
Sporting: Thomas Radstrom had a clean run today, but for most of the day, his more inexperienced team mate, Sebastien Loeb was the faster Citroen. His best results were an impressive seventh fastest, on SS14 and SS16. He caught Radstrom for most of the day, reducing his advantage from 40.5s to 14.4s.
Quotes: Sebastien Loeb said: ãWe tried different suspension on SS13 and SS14. It wasn't perfect. The car was hard to drive - it was bouncing around. But it worked better on SS14.
OTHER ENTRIES
Impressive privateer Sebastian Lindholm continues to lead the non-factory cars. The Finn's biggest drama of the day was a driveshaft failure before SS14, which denied his 206 WRC drive to the rear wheels. He lost around 50s, but still managed to end the day in eighth place. Ford Focus privateer Janne Tuohino also had another strong run, ending the day in 11th position.
The battle for Group N was red-hot, with four different leaders in as many stages. Overnight pace setter Jukka Ketomaki withdrew at final service last night with engine problems, handing the lead to fellow Finn Juha Salo for SS11. However, he picked up a puncture in SS12 and stopped to change it, handing the baton to another Juha, this time, Hellman. On SS13 Hellman slid into a ditch, losing four minutes and thereby promoting Jarkko Miettinen to the top spot, which he held until the end of the day. In the FIA World Rally Championship for Production Cars, Italian driver Alex Fiorio ended the day in control, followed by Kristian Sohlberg, and championship leader Karamjit Singh. The Malaysian driver overcame turbo problems to stay in contention. Championship contender Ramon Ferreyros finally retired with more engine problems, and Marcos Ligato was forced out with an overheating engine.
RALLY STATISTICS - 10 August 2002
STARTERS: 50 crews (26 Group A and 24 Group N) started this morning.
RETIREMENTS: Kankkunen (FIN), Ferreyros (PE), Rovanpera (FIN), and 11 other drivers
TODAY:
Saturday 10 August
Leg 2 started from Jyvaskyla at 06h00 and covered 774.83km, including 173.65km on six special stages.
TOMORROW:
Sunday 11 August
Leg 3 starts from Jyvaskyla at 07h20 and covers 362.77km, including 94.36km on six special stages. The first car is expected to arrive in Jyvaskyla at 15h46.
WEATHER FORECAST: Sunny and hot, with a possible high temperature of 27deg C.
STAGE RESULTS
SS11 TALVIAINEN (25.74km)
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 12m 47.3
2 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 12m 54.6
3 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 12m 55.6
LEADERS AFTER SS11
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 1h 18m 55.4
2 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 1h 19m 15.7
3 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 1h 19m 24.6
SS12 OUNINPOHJA 1 (34.13km)
1 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 15m 58.6
2 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 16m 04.9
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 16m 29.0
LEADERS AFTER SS12
1 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 1h 35m 14.3
2 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 1h 35m 29.5
3 Burns (GB) Peugeot 1h 36m 24.3
SS13 MOKSI-LEUSTU (40.84km)
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 20m 31.9
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 20m 45.3
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 20m 54.3
LEADERS AFTER SS13
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 1h 56m 01.4
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 1h 57m 09.6
3 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 1h 57m 57.6
SS14 EHIKKI (14.89km)
1 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 6m 57.8
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 5m 59.2
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 7m 00.0
LEADERS AFTER SS14
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 2h 02m 59.2
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 2h 04m 08.8
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 2h 05m 05.8
SS15 OUNINPOHJA 2 (25.22km)
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 11m 26.0
2 Solberg (N) Subaru 11m 31.6
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 11m 34.6
LEADERS AFTER SS15
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 2h 14m 25.2
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 2h 15m 43.4
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 2h 16m 42.6
SS16 VAHERI - HIMOS (35.83km)
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 17m 58.0
2 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 18m 01.9
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 18m 07.4
LEADERS AT END OF LEG ONE (AFTER SS10)
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 1h 06m 08.1
2 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot +12.0
3 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot +21.9
4 Solberg (N) Subaru +1m 12.3
5 C McRae (GB) Ford +1m 16.8
6 Sainz (E) Ford +1m 18.9
7 Lindholm (FIN) Peugeot +1m 31.7
8 Makinen (FIN) Subaru +1m 42.1
9 Loix (B) Hyundai +1m 43.9
10 Martin (EE) Ford +1m 44.3
Peugeot has completely dominated the opening day of Rally Finland, the fastest event on the FIA World Rally Championship. Richard Burns is the overnight leader, having won six stages in his 206 WRC. His team-mates Marcus Grönholm and Harri Rovanperä won the remaining stages. Burns has enjoyed a small road position advantage today - by starting fifth for each test he has avoided the worst of loose gravel and stones that have been swept aside by Marcus Gronholm. The Briton was handed a late boost when Gronholm broke a shock absorber on SS8, which cost the Finn around 20 seconds on the following stage. Subaru's Norwegian young gun Petter Solberg leads the chasing pack, but is some 50s behind Gronholm. He snatched the position from Ford's Colin McRae at the end of the day, who is in fifth position.
Local hero Juuso Pykalisto stunned rallying's elite earlier today, by running in an incredible fourth place overall in a 2000-specification Peugeot 206 WRC. The Finn later retired with transmission problems.
PEUGEOT
Technical: All three Peugeot 206WRCs were mainly reliable today. Richard Burns lost his rear window after landing hard from a jump, and Harri Rovanperä was one of several drivers to get a puncture on SS6. Marcus Grönholm broke a shock absorber on SS8 and lost time on the following stage, He was the only driver to use Peugeot's new electronically controlled anti-roll bars.
Sporting: Peugeot have been in a class of their own today, and completely dominated the opening day of the rally. Their closest rival, Petter Solberg was 50s behind third placed Gronholm at the end of day one. Richard Burns took full advantage of his road position (fifth) to take an early lead from Harri Rovanperä and Marcus Grönholm. The reigning world champion won six stages (including last night's superspecial) to end the first day with a small lead, before the Killeri superspecial stage. Championship leader Grönholm lost time whilst he swept the road clear of stones and loose gravel, but was reasonably satisfied to stay in touch with the lead. Tomorrow he will start further down the order, and will enjoy better stage conditions. Rovanperä said he was driving close to his limit all day, and was also getting used to a different voice calling the pacenotes. Regular navigator Risto Pietilainen was taken ill before the event, and has been replaced by Rovanpera's previous co-driver Voitto Silander.
Quotes: Marcus Grönholm said: ãI'm quite surprised that all the other non-Peugeots are so far behind.
Richard Burns said: ãNormally I'm good today then the Finns get better later in the rally - the roads are a bit more specialised from tomorrow onwards. I think Marcus did have a slight disadvantage from running first on the road, as there was a bit of a line visible when I came through.
SUBARU
Technical: Tommi Mäkinen has complained of engine problems today in his Subaru Impreza WRC2002. He reported a lack of power in SS2, and during SS6, smoke was coming into the cabin. However, Subaru's engineers say the engine does not have a problem. He also reported damage to the front left suspension, and a transmission problem after SS9. Petter Solberg's car has been reliable. He suffered punctures in SS6 and SS9, but the mousse system in his Pirelli tyres enabled him to continue without stopping on both occasions.
Sporting: Petter Solberg rued his tyre compound choice on the day's opening three stages. He chose a soft tyre which did not last as well as he had hoped. Despite this, his performance was still the strongest non-Peugeot drives of the day. He ended the first leg in fourth place, just ahead of Colin McRae. Tommi Makinen was unhappy with his car all day. The five-time winner of Rally Finland could not better eighth fastest on any stage, and complained of engine problems throughout the day.
Quotes: Tommi Mäkinen said: ãI'm not very happy, there was no power and big smoke coming into the car, but no one can tell me what the problem is
FORD
Technical: The Focus RS WRC02s of Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, and Markko Martin have been mainly reliable today. Markko Martin experimented with a new set-up during the first three stages of the day, but reverted to his previous settings after complaining that his car did not feel responsive enough. Fourth driver Francois Duval had problems with his intercom for part of the day, which forced him to back off in places. He retired after SS9 with suspension failure.
Sporting: Colin McRae ended the day just behind Petter Solberg after a close battle with the Subaru driver all day. The Scot was happy with the performance of his car, but could do nothing about the cars in front of him. Carlos Sainz admitted to struggling at first to find his rhythm on the ultra-fast Rally Finland stages, but settled into the event after setting fifth fastest time on stage six. Once Markko Martin had reverted to his original set-up he set times similar to his two regular team-mates, and on occasion was faster than both. He incurred a 10s penalty for a jump start on SS9. Junior driver François Duval opted for a cautious approach, but still retired with suspension failure after damage was incurred on SS9.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: ãI always expected the Peugeots to be quick, but not that quick. No problems from our end the car feels good in fact, it's just that we can't keep up.
HYUNDAI
Technical: A faulty batch of spark plugs caused a misfire during the morning for two of Hyundai's Accent WRCs. Armin Schwarz and Juha Kankkunen both recovered after the plugs were replaced. Freddy Loix has enjoyed a reliable run today.
Sporting: Freddy Loix's strong run has placed him in ninth place overnight. He lost time in several stages due to hanging dust, which slowed the progress of many competitors. Juha Kankkunen was happy by the end of the day, after making changes to his Accent. Armin Schwarz lost time when passing the retired Lancer of François Delecour. Enthusiastic spectators waved him down frantically, and Schwarz slowed far earlier than he needed to.
Quotes: Freddy Loix said: ãI've got a good speed, I don't think I can go any faster, I'm on the limit. I think I'm driving well, but nobody expected the Peugeots to be so good. Once Marcus gets a clean road I think he'll put down some proper times.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: Two of Mitsubishi's three Lancers hit problems on SS9 after an otherwise trouble-free day. Alister McRae broke a shock absorber and François Delecour retired in SS9 when his suspension collapsed. They are confident the new Step 2 car is an improvement; although they both complained of excessive oversteer today. Third driver Jani Paasonen has been happy with the performance of his car.
Sporting: Jani Paasonen posted two top 10 times for the new Lancer, but faded into the teens later during the day. Delecour was relieved the team took a decision to bring the new Step 2 machine. Even so, he and Alister McRae struggled to break into the top dozen.
Quotes: François Delecour said: ãDefinitely the car is better, thank God we don't have the old car here. The engine is one of the biggest improvements, it was still oversteering a bit but that's mainly down to the differential.
SKODA
Technical: Kenneth Eriksson's Octavia lost hydraulic pressure to the centre differential during the first few stages of the day. The problem has occurred several times this year, and makes the car very difficult to drive. Just after the finish line of SS6, the car's engine bay caught fire. Eriksson extinguished the flames, and although the engine fired, it would only run on three cylinders. The car finally retired on a road section when it ran out of fuel because one of its injectors was stuck wide open. The suspension of Toni Gardemeister's Octavia was too soft during the day's opening stages. He changed the set-up, and like Eriksson, intermittently lost hydraulic pressure to the differentials during SS6.
Sporting: Toni Gardemeister made a fighting debut for the third evolution of the Octavia WRC, and battled with the Citroen of Thomas Radstrom, and Jani Paasonen's Mitsubishi for much of the day. He ended it sandwiched between them in 14th place. Kenneth Eriksson was frustrated by his car's technical problems and was in 16th place before his retirement.
Quotes: Kenneth Eriksson said: ãOne kilometre from the end of SS6 the car dropped onto three cylinders. Afterwards it was misfiring and we ran out of fuel.
CITROEN
Technical: Both Citroen Xsara WRCs have been reliable today. Sebastien Loeb felt uncomfortable with the handling of his machine on the day's opening stages and adjusted the differential settings, which improved the car. Both cars got punctures to the front-right wheel on SS6, but the use of Michelin tyre mousse enabled them to continue without stopping to change a wheel.
Sporting: Sebastien Loeb made a cautious start to his first Rally Finland in a World Rally Car, he was not happy with the feeling of his car on the opening stages. Thomas Radstrom was reacquainting himself with Rally Finland, after missing the event for two years. He admitted that it was taking time to convince himself to stay flat-out over the jumps. By SS7 he was up to speed and set fifth-equal fastest time.
Quotes: Thomas Radstrom said: ãI can really feel that I've not been too Finland for two years, places that I would have been flat I've been lifting. I'm going to try and slowly build my pace and confidence and hopefully everything will come.
OTHER ENTRIES
Before his retirement, Finnish driver Juuso Pykalisto impressed many people with his performance in a privateer Peugeot 206 WRC. Fellow Finn Sebastien Lindholm ended the day as top privateer in seventh place. In the FIA World Rally Championship for Production Cars, the leading championship driver was Argentine Marcos Ligato in fourth place in Group N. He battled with series rival Kristian Sohlberg until the Finn's Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII suffered alternator failure on SS8. Overall Group N leader is local driver Jukka Ketomaki. British driver Martin Rowe impressed in third place earlier in the day, until his Mitsubishi was put out by a combination of driveshaft and steering problems. Championship contender Ramon Ferreyros has struggled, and is almost last after engine problems. Current leader of the Championship, Malaysian Proton's driver Karamhit Singh, is an impressive eighth, in his first visit to Finland.
RALLY STATISTICS - 9 August 2002
STARTERS: 77 crews (35 Group A and 42 Group N) started this morning.
RETIREMENTS: Delecour (F), Eriksson (S), Duval (B), Kremer (D), Pykalisto (FIN) and 20 other drivers
TODAY:
Friday 9 August
Leg 1 restarted from Jyvaskyla at 08h00 and covered 533.65km, including 128.61km on nine special stages
TOMORROW:
Saturday 10 August
Leg 2 starts from Jyvaskyla at 06h00 and covers 774.83km, including 173.65km on six special stages. The first car is expected to arrive in Jyvaskyla at 21h11.
WEATHER FORECAST: Fine, with possible showers.
STAGE WINNERS
SS1 KILLERI 1 (2.06km)
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 1m 16.7
2 Sainz (E) Ford 1m 17.5
3= Solberg (N) Subaru 1m 17.5
4 C.McRae (GB) Ford 1m 17.8
STAGE 1 RUN YESTERDAY
SS2 VALKOLA 1 (8.42km)
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 4m 27.9
2 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 4m 29.6
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 4m 30.4
LEADERS AFTER SS2
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 5m 45.9
2 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 5m 47.7
3 C.McRae (GB) Ford 5m 48.2
SS3 LANKAMAA 1 (23.44km)
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 11m 28.7
2 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 11m 30.4
3 Pykalisto (FIN) Peugeot 11m 30.4
LEADERS AFTER SS3
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 17m 16.3
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 17m 17.3
3 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 17m 19.5
SS4 LAUKAA (11.80km)
1 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 5m 47.0
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 5m 47.3
3 Pykalisto (FIN) Peugeot 5m 49.9
LEADERS AFTER SS4
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 23m 04.6
2 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 23m 06.5
3 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 23m 07.4
SS5 MOKKIPERA (13.38km)
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 6m 22.6
2 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 6m 23.2
3 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 6m 24.0
LEADERS AFTER SS5
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 29m 27.2
2 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 29m 30.5
3 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 29m 30.6
SS6 PALSANKYLA (25.48km)
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 13m 33.0
2 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 13m 35.9
3 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 13m 38.0
LEADERS AFTER SS6
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 43m 00.2
2 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 43m 06.4
3 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 43m 08.6
SS7 RUUHIMAKI (8.79km)
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 4m 44.6
2 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 4m 44.8
3 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 4m 45.6
LEADERS AFTER SS7
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 47m 44.8
2 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 47m 52.0
3 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 47m 53.4
SS8 LAUKAA 2 (11.80km)
1 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 5m 42.9
2 Burns (GB) Peugeot 5m 43.9
3 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 5m 44.7
LEADERS AFTER SS8
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 53m 28.7
2 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 53m 36.3
3 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 53m 36.7
SS9 LANKAMAA 2 (23.44km)
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 11m 21.5
2 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 11m 25.8
3 Solberg (N) Subaru 11m 30.9
LEADERS AFTER SS9
1 Burns (GB) Peugeot 1h 04m 50.2
2 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 1h 05m 02.5
3 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 1h 05m 12.6
SS10 KILLERI 2 (2.06km)
1 Sainz (E) Ford 1m 17.2
2 Gronholm (FIN) Peugeot 1m 17.4
3 Rovanpera (FIN) Peugeot 1m 17.6
The FIA World Rally Championship returns from Kenya to Europe this weekend, for Rally Finland, the fastest and one of the most spectacular events on the calendar. The ninth round begins this evening on the Killeri superspecial stage, before crews head into the forests tomorrow morning. This event is famous for its high speeds and enormous jumps, and has been dominated by Finnish and Scandinavian drivers throughout its history. Championship leader Marcus Gronholm will be keen for this trend to continue, after a recent poor run which has allowed Scottish Colin McRae to close to within seven points of his tally. If Gronholm wins this weekend, it will be his third Rally Finland victory in a row. Mitsubishi and Skoda will also be hoping for improved fortunes - both have brought newly homologated cars to Finland. This event is likely to be one of the most closely fought events of the year, with several local drivers taking part who could challenge the established manufacturer entries.
Peugeot (1st - 83 points)
Technical: The main development for Peugeot this weekend is the introduction of new electronically controlled anti-roll bars. Marcus Gronholm and Harri Rovanpera will use them. All three cars on this event were previously used in Cyprus.
Sporting: Peugeot has entered three 206 WRC machines at this event, for Marcus Grönholm, Richard Burns and Harri Rovanperä. All have been nominated for manufacturers' points. Gilles Panizzi was also due to take part, but has withdrawn after breaking a bone in his shoulder in an accident at home. He has undergone an operation and should be fit for Rally Deutschland on August 22-25.
Quotes: Marcus Grönholm said: ãI'm not trying to think about the championship. It should be a strong rally for us, but other drivers will be quick, especially Tommi, Harri, Richard and Colin. This is the first time I have used the new suspension and the feeling is good, although the times are the same.
Ford (2nd - 69 points)
Technical: After surviving rough rallies in Greece and Kenya, Ford is allowing its Rally Finland cars to be geared more towards performance than strength. It has introduced a flatter cross member, to allow the Focus's ride height to be lower or higher, dependent upon requirements. Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae have new cars, Markko Martin uses Sainz's Acropolis car, and François Duval drives Martin's Safari machine.
Sporting: Ford has entered four Focus WRC02 models for this event. Regular drivers Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz and Markko Martin are nominated for manufacturers' points, and a fourth car has been entered for François Duval. The young Belgian had a big crash in testing which destroyed the test car he was due to use. Instead, the team has re-prepared the car used by Markko Martin on the Safari Rally.
Quotes: Carlos Sainz said: ãThis is a difficult rally, one where you have to need to feel comfortable in the car straightaway. It's going to be tight. It's been tough all year and here the Finns are very competitive It's important for us to finish on the podium.
Markko Martin said: ãI think we have a good chance, the car has improved a lot. I want to be the first non-Finn to finish, but there are a lot of quick drivers and it will also be interesting to see how Citroen do.
Subaru (3rd - 35 points)
Technical: No major technical developments for Subaru. Tommi Makinen has a new car, Petter Solberg drives an Impreza previously used at Corsica, Catalunya and Argentina.
Sporting: Subaru has entered two Impreza's for Tommi Makinen and Petter Solberg, both are nominated for manufacturers' points. It has also been confirmed that Kaj Lindstrom will continue to navigate for Tommi Makinen during the rest of 2002. Risto Manninsenmaki is still recovering from an accident in Corsica last year, and has been advised not to return yet.
Quotes: Tommi Mäkinen said: ãI did two days testing for this rally and the car seems to be very fast. If we get good points here, we still have a chance in the championship, and being at home makes this a special rally. There is no point in taking extra pressure from our finishing record, so we'll try to do our work with a relaxed feeling.
Skoda (4th - 8 points)
Technical: The Czech manufacturer introduces its third generation Octavia WRC this weekend. It has a new inlet manifold, throttle body and exhaust. There are also small modifications to the front bumper and bonnet.
Sporting: Skoda enters two Octavia WRCs for Toni Gardemeister and Kenneth Eriksson. The car shared by Stig Blomqvist and Gabriel Pozzo will not be seen again this year. Skoda has terminated its agreement with David Sutton Cars, which was responsible for the preparation of this additional machine.
Quotes: Toni Gardemeister said: ãThe new engine is an improvement, although we had a small problem with the turbo this morning. I like my home event, but it is no more important than any other rally. If everything goes well, maybe we can score some points, but certainly we hope to be in the top 10.
Mitsubishi (5th - 7 points)
Technical: A new Step 2 homologation of the Lancer Evo WRC makes its debut this weekend. It features a modified rollcage, new suspension uprights, and stronger mounting points. The engine has been lowered by 15mm, and has lighter internal components. A hydraulic system will be introduced, together with a semi-automatic gearbox later in the year.
Sporting: Mitsubishi has entered two brand-new Step 2 Lancer Evo WRCs for Alister McRae and François Delecour. Jani Paasonen will drive a converted Step 1 car. All three drivers are nominated for manufacturers' points.
Quotes: Alister McRae said: ãFor me I would have liked more testing, but you can never do enough. It feels stronger in the mid-range and you can 'drive' the car more, it's easy to play with it. The old car was very difficult to drive when it was bumpy and twisty. For sure we're going to be higher than we were before.
Jani Paasonen said: ãThe feeling is much better. The car is better to turn in and I feel more confident with it.
Hyundai (6th - 6 points)
Technical: The team has undergone a four-day development test in Finland with work concentrating on damper development. Aside from that the Accent WRC3s have no major updates for this event.
Sporting: Hyundai sends three Accent WRC3s to Finland, to be driven by Armin Schwarz, Freddy Loix and Juha Kankkunen. All three drivers are nominated for manufacturers' points.
Quotes: Freddy Loix said: ãAt every event we've driven in the top six, so why not here? There are lots of good local drivers, but I am hoping to take the luck back that I have been missing this year. We had two very good days of testing and the engine has the power as long as we keep the revs high.
Juha Kankkunen said: ãThis car is a lot better than the one I made my Hyundai debut in last year. It's completely different and I have had more time to test. I'll tell you after tomorrow what is possible!
Citroen (not scoring for the championship)
Technical: Both Xsara WRCs are brand new for this event. Thomas Radstrom won the recent Mantta Rally, a traditional 'warm-up' event for Rally Finland. Citroen has also explained that its damper problems on the Safari Rally were down to the fact that the event was even harder than they expected.
Sporting: Citroen enters two Xsara WRCs for this event, on its last loose-surface gravel event this year. Swede Thomas Radstrom and young Frenchman Sebastien Loeb will drive the cars.
Quotes: Sebastien Loeb said: ãThe Xsara WRC is very different to the Saxo I used here last year. Its faster, you jump much further and the balance is much better. We have to learn, and my aim is to finish in the top 10. We want to take experience away from here. These stages are fun to drive, but difficult as well.
Thomas Radstrom said: ãA win would be nice but I think we need to do a few more gravel rallies before that., but our good result at the Safari Rally has given everybody confidence.
Other entries
Regular World Rally Championship drivers will face stiff opposition from local experts this weekend. One driver who has already received a boost is Juuso Pykalisto, a protégé of Marcus Gronholm. The 27-year-old Finn has signed a three contract to test for Peugeot yesterday. He will also drive a Bozian-run 206WRC on five events next year. He drives a 206 WRC this weekend.
Another man to watch is Gronholm's cousin, Sebastian Lindholm who also drives a Peugeot. Janne Tuohino has impressed this year in a Ford Focus RS WRC 01, and gets another opportunity in Finland. And former works Peugeot driver and world champion Timo Salonen returns to top flight competition, driving a Bozian-run 206WRC in a one-off appearance.
In the Production Cars World Rally Championship, the leader Karamjit Singh (Proton) will face strong opposition from runner-up Raymon Ferreyros (Mitsubishi).
EVENT STATISTICS
EVENT: Rally Finland is the 9th of 14 events in the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship.
ENTRIES: 83 (37 Group A and 46 Group N)
DRIVERS: Argentina 1, Austria 1, Belgium 2, Bulgaria 1, Czech Republic 1, Estonia 2, Finland 39, France 4,Germany 2, Great Britain 4, Italy 7, Lithuania 1, Malaysia 1, Norway 6, Poland 1, Peru 1, Russia 1, Spain 2, Sweden 6.
MANUFACTURERS TEAMS: Citroen, Ford, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Skoda, Subaru.
CARS (including the manufacturers cars): Citroen 2, Ford 8, Hyundai 3, Mitsubishi 46, Peugeot 8, Proton 1, Renault 1, Skoda 2, Subaru 6, Suzuki 1, Toyota 3, Volkswagen 1.
WEATHER FORECAST: Mainly sunny with a high temperature of 22° C.
SCHEDULE (Finland Is GMT +3hrs)
Thursday 8 August
Start 1800 Jyväskylä Paviljonki
SS1 1900 SSS Killeri 1 2.06km
Friday 9 August
Re-start 0800 Jyväskylä Paviljonki
SS2 0906 Valkola 8.42km
SS3 0949 Lankamaa 1 23.44km
SS4 1037 Laukaa 1 11.80km
SS5 1234 Mökkiperä 13.38km
SS6 1312 Palsankylä 25.48km
SS7 1549 Ruuhimä 8.79km
SS8 1637 Laukaa 2 11.80km
SS9 1729 Lankamaa 2 23.44km
SS10 2011 SSS Killeri 2 2.06km
Finish 2131 Jyväskylä Paviljonki
Saturday 10 August
Start 0600 Jyväskylä Paviljonki
SS11 0816 Talviainen 25.74km
SS12 0856 Ouninpohja 1 34.13km
SS13 1224 Moksi-Leustu 40.84km
SS14 1331 Ehikki 14.89km
SS15 1728 Ouninpohja 2 25.22km
SS16 1816 Vaheri-Himos 35.83km
Finish 2111 Jyväskylä Paviljonki
Sunday 11 August
Start 0720 Jyväskylä Paviljonki
SS17 0846 Keuruu 1 11.80km
SS18 0914 Jukojärvi 1 22.71km
SS19 0957 Kruununperä 1 12.67km
SS20 1245 Keuruu 2 11.80km
SS21 1313 Jukojärvi 2 22.71km
SS22 1406 Kruununperä 2 12.67km
Finish 1620 Finish Podium, Jyväskylä
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