** Official WRC Finland Thread **

[RyanTank]

Lots of action at shakedown!

Neuville off, Breen lost a tyre and crashed heavy, Ogier spun along with Mikkelsen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLVyRAt2cxbxtE9...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGRxj_ZT4bo&in...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu5zH5BhEAY&in...


And some Finnish Yumps
https://youtu.be/2U1cYlwvY-8?list=PLVyRAt2cxbxtE9R...


Ostberg fastest in shakedown

[GravelBen]

Sometimes I think they try a bit too hard at shakedown when it doesn't really matter! I guess it helps with confidence for the real event, but still...

Keeps it interesting for us though, can't complain about that.

[Pwig]

That was a big one for Neuville, he's lucky the tree gave way!

[chevronb37]

On our way up to Jyvaskyla now for Harju. Well excited!

[Allyc85]

chevronb37 said:

On our way up to Jyvaskyla now for Harju. Well excited!

Awesome

Great video from SD really showing the speed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCoVPA__w7U&in...

Edited by Allyc85 on Thursday 30th July 21:33

[chevronb37]

Allyc85 said:

chevronb37 said:

On our way up to Jyvaskyla now for Harju. Well excited!

Awesome

Great video from SD really showing the speed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCoVPA__w7U&in...

Edited by Allyc85 on Thursday 30th July 21:33

Just finishing breakfast then off to Ouninpohja. It feels like a dream! We're going to try the famous Yellow House Jump then back home for lunch before Himos.

Ogier looked so good yesterday but the forests are where the rally really starts.

[GravelBen]

[GravelBen]

Bugger, Paddon out too as well as Mikkelsen.

[Allyc85]

Big crashes for them both!

Great close fight for the lead, with JML setting a new average speed record on Ouninpohja to take 1st from Ogier. Meeke lurks in 3rd place, such a shame he has had car issues slowing him down!

After ss9.

Latvala
Ogier+3.1
Meeke+23.1
Østberg+33.0
Neuville+1:48.6
Sordo+1:51.5
Hänninen+2:19.3
Prokop+2:45.2

[Allyc85]

Latvala on his way to a new stage record, averaging over 80mph, despite there being around 70 jumps!

https://youtu.be/NLpskd5Ijms

And good work by Elfyn to get his car back to service after his mistake!

[Pwig]

Been a brilliant day. Meeke fastest on SS7 despite him saying his car was 'all over the place' !

[chevronb37]

From the trackside, it was Ogier, Latvala and Sordo who looked most committed. Can't explain the buzz of being next to a full 50m WRC flight. Awesome day! We're doing SS14 and SS17 tomorrow.

[Blayney]

I love that spanner holding it all together!

[Allyc85]

Seems like the ultra close battle between Latvala and Ogier isn't exciting enough for some

https://youtu.be/cu6TcDcKW1c

[GravelBen]

Photos including a sequence of Paddon's crash:

http://maurihelle.kuvat.fi/kuvat/Motorsport/NORF+2...

I've been watching his career for a long time, its not something he does often!

Edited by GravelBen on Saturday 1st August 11:34

[chevronb37]

Latvala committed the largest leap we saw through Horkka. Loads of people out today. Our next stop is Surkee.

[Allyc85]

Dosn't surprise me, sounds like he has been on it all day!

Gutted about Kris Meeke crashing again, can't see him being in a Citroen next year after recent criticism. Can only hope for a Toyota seat now I guess, but then they will want someone who finishes..

[SAGTAFF]

Allyc85 said:

Dosn't surprise me, sounds like he has been on it all day!

can't see him being in a Citroen next year after recent criticism.

But what options do they have - the only drivers better than him are Ogier, JML and Neuville but they are all tied into seats for next year. I guess Tanak / Paddon are starting to show promise but they crash just as much as Kris and there is talk of a Loeb return but there isn't a great deal around to touch the three mentioned in my original line.

The speeds are incredible - what will it be like with the new 2017 regs!!??!!

[Slippydiff]

Allyc85 said:

Seems like the ultra close battle between Latvala and Ogier isn't exciting enough for some

https://youtu.be/cu6TcDcKW1c

Oh those boys can drink. Back in 2004 we lost count of the amount we saw sleeping under their RV's passed out completly comatose at all hours of the day. Give 'em their due, they know how to party !

Have to say I thought Neuville's crash particularly frightening, he brushed it off with something along the lines of "We're both safe, no injuries, so we carry on". If ever a crash had Michael Park written all over it, that was it. Had the impact been 3-4 feet further forward and into a stouter tree, I'm guessing we'd all be in mourning now.

Not wanting to rain on anyone's parade, but the speed and commitment of the top guys is awesome and frightening in equal measure when you see Finland up close and personal.

Edited by Slippydiff on Sunday 2nd August 08:01

[RyanTank]

Have to say the speeds in the vids online are insane. Its like they've turned it up a notch just for Finland!

Gutted for Meeke. He clearly has the pace to compete with the VW boys. I just don't think the car has it to keep up and so Meeke is giving it more than he should to keep up. thus resulting in his off's.
Paddons roll looked huge and painful. not seen anything besides aftermath pics of Mikkelsen.

Looking at the stage times, the battle between JML & SO stays consistently within a couple of seconds of each other, and the times for anyone behind keeps widening from them both.
VW are running away with it as no other team in the championship are giving 100% to it like they are. Hyundai aren't otherwise the new car would have been ready by now.
Maybe Toyota joining and hopefully giving it 100% would be a challenge to the VW outfit.


I sort of share Slippy's view on the Neuville crash. Could have ended so much worse, I'm not sure we'd have had a Michael Park incident again as the door protection from the cage has changed dramatically since then, there's more bracing and it sits lower in the door opening to be almost level with the co-drivers seat and hips/leg as opposed to being almost mid door positioned as it was in the 307. I always thought the 307 was a bad car and never understood how they could use a convertible design for a racing car!?