[WRC] Rally Finland 2013

[Xsara Fan]

Aleksey 'Lukas' Lukyanuk interview after Neste Oil Rally Finland 2013 (google.translate from Russian language)

[Mintexmemory]

Give Capito another year with JML and he will loose his patients with him at the end... Rocks will never stop getting in his way

Yes but just imagine how dominant VW will be if they can give JML rock-proof suspension!

[stefanvv]

Aleksey 'Lukas' Lukyanuk interview after Neste Oil Rally Finland 2013 (google.translate from Russian language)

"...SS Ouninpohja? - Difficult to remember..."

[garais22]

Some pictures from NORF 2013

[MartijnS]

So, we came back yesterday from our first and already for sure not our last Rally Finland!
Crazy how fast the stages are!!

Starting with the shakedown near the end at the nice jump sequence, good spot! Than at the Qualifying stage we went to the lefthander before those jumps as we thought, jumps are jumps and the guys will push at that corner more than during the shakedown and fortunately that was true! Ogier came first and was the sickest of all, completely sideways at such a high speed, unreal!

Thursday we did two runs of the Torritu stage. Not really that great spots, but not bad either. Reasonably fast section at the first run and a 90" left corner with big tracks in the corner after the first run. Left there after about 20 cars to Killeri. Fun to watch in the rain!

On Friday we did 4 stages. Recced those, so found some good spots.
Good jump at the first run of Jukojarvi. Than we went to Mokkipera where we planned to see a section which seemed impossible to reach, so we had a change of plans and came out at again a 90" left with a small crest before which we noticed in the recce already too. Slippery one! Very nice, lots of sideways action. Neuville nearly lost it there, was off the road with the rear. Some narrow escapes of other cars before Suarez in hisFiesta went off into a ditch. It was just the 4 of us in the corner, fortunately some Finns came to help and after some hard work he got out after 10 or 15 minutes.
Back to Jukojarvi, fast downhill part. Not that special.
Last spot of the day was a full throttle downhill part, with some bumps at the end where they had a really fast lefthander up. Crazy speeds!!

Saturday, again 4 stages.
Started at Surkee, fast part before a 90" right. Not spectacular at all, but managed to take some nice shots as they drove directly past a lake.
Than to Ouninpohja for probably the most boring spot of the rally, small jump into fast left. So decided to leave after Ogier to go to Painaa but lost track of the road in the forest so missed that one.
So lunchbreak and back to Surkee. First big spectator area, fast 90" right, quite good, but you just stand to far from the action, but nice shots with the spectators on the background. After that back to Ouninpohja for our last stage, really fast lefthander. Guys really pushing there, setting the car sideways before the corner. Amazing again!

Ogier definitely the man this weekend, almost every time we saw him was great. Neuville and Ostberg too, really good. So great rally for us, nice atmosphere. Really cool service park, nice ladies. Jyvaskala also a nice town to stay at night, some good restaurants and clubs. If possible, definitely back next year!

Saw some of my photos allready being posted from EWRC, but they are online at our website now too!











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[danon]

Given the way VW jumps-flybys-lands compared to the rest I think they come up with
and implemented the idea of activ (gyroscopic effect) "in the air" control diffs.
You guys know what I mean.
Smart, huh!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiTUiop9etk

[danon]

AWBC - Active Weight Balance Control

[Hartusvuori]

Few thoughts from this year's edition of Rally Finland.

From our experience, this year was easier and more relaxed for the spectators. It must be said that this year we did shakedown + 8 stages which is two less than the few prior years, but still traffic wise, fellow spectator wise, marshall wise, timing wise, it was relaxed. There weren't any proper early morning wake up for example. I think Surkee 1 on Saturday was the earliest stage and it wasn't on until half past eight. Some said there could've been less spectators than previously... well. For example on Torittu 1 it was fully packed, but then again other places not so. Also not that much of stupidly behaving groups of drunks, they were there, but not in such high number I think. All in all, it was 4 days, 56 hours, shakedown, 8 stages (+ 1 Vetomies stage), service park, one recce stage, 680 kms by car, some 33 kms by foor, some rain, some sunshine, no mosquitos, no warm meals for days. Very nice, as expected :-)

For QS Ruuhimäki we did the save option at the end, right at the beginning of the fast left that ends in the junction right. We could see cars go over three jumps/crests. The rhythm at the place is like a dance or a symphony, so beautiful. Perfect place to start the event, especially if still new to Rally Finland. Competition wise Hirvonen, Ogier, Neuville, Östberg, Latvala - all went for it. Latvala's second FP looked fastest, but I think in QS he lost a little in the braking to the junction. I was totally surprised how Meeke set 3rd fastest time on the first FP. He was still clearly coming in terms with Citroen, braking a bit by bit to the junction. I noticed later in the rally as well, that Meeke didn't push through fast corners as confident as current WRC regulars, but he definitely sped up as the event went on. Considering this was his first competetive start in who knows how long time, it's understandable. Of WRC2 drivers, first run of Kubica was so and so, but from the second run, he was on it. About Lappi, his Fabia looked weak from the first sight. I've seen more agile Fabias. Shakedown was also my first experience with R5 cars: it's evident that the speed is faster than S2000s, especially in junctions the torque kicks in, but the sound of the car... It drops somewhere near Mitsubishis and Subarus and that's not a compliment. Ruuhimäki was also very active in social relations. I met almost all the non-Finnish people I've get to know in previous rallies, very very nice. Also Lorenzo the Photo Project guy was there, nice guy. Perhaps the most unbelievable coincidence was how the people we stayed in Sweden at SS Vargåsen and tried to make the fire out of wet wood in the winter (the best memory from Sweden) just happened to walk pass and we reunited. :-) Rallying is so much more than just cars, I've told it hundred times and will tell hundred times more.

Then came Day 1 with some controversy. First, yes, it was a long day in hours and kilometres and short day in competetive mileage, but spectator-wise it still was a kind of proper day. It was so easy to see two stages in the afternoon with not too much effort. At Torittu 1 however we were faced with a bit of parking farce (P2). We were charged €5 for a roadside parking, some 4 kilometres to stage. After 1 km or so we reached the queue, and the only marshall at the place told that was it. At the same time an angry land owner was starting to make her heart go weak raging who she didn't want the rally there in the first place and no one should park in her land. A kind man as I am, I suggested her to watch out for her land then otherwise it'll be full of cars there roadside, but she wouldn't listen. We did a u-turn and parked 150 metres earlier and made the 3+ kilometer walk to the stage. It was then a little frustrating to realise how poorly the parking was organised because during the walk we found at least 50 empty spots for cars... What can you do. Glad we had time. This was the only issue we had with too much traffic.

The place on Torittu we had chosen was a fast over crest right, directly into left-right. The cut on the left was deep with a small ground rock in the rut. Most of the WRC cars jumped nice, Novikov even sideways and it was also nice to see how they shifted the balance of the car from one side to another in that left-then-right corner. Fast place too. Latvala cut deep there, some spectators heard as if something would've went broken. Then when the news came in through radio that he had broken suspension, a debate began whether it was there or not. Later it was clear that it was much further in the stage. Only Bertelli had a close-call there as he jumped out of the ruts. He also went wide in the following over 90 junction right. If you remember from YLE Ralliradio's video from earlier in the summer how the overshoot the junction there roadspeed, at least three cars did that in the first run too.

Then Himos 2, just in the name of science as I were interested to see how it works with 30-second intervals. It was surprising to see how little number of spectators the stage attracted. It's well-positioned, good parking, the infrastructure is there (restaurants, bars, shops) but still it remains that rally is a sport run in forests. We chose a place some 100 metres uphill, so we had a view of the start and the first 150 metres uphill, then the cars passed us on fast left in narrow, bad-conditioned road with a difficult braking into the tunnel, then later on we could see the 200 metres return to the second loop and the part that led to the finish. As it was 30-interval, mostly cars everywhere once it started. It pretty much exactly started to rain when first car started. It was heavy rain, and later I was told the area at the SS Himos start/finish was the end of it, the road some 1 km away was completely dry. A lot happened on the stage, I've already written it down in here. Admittedly it was weird how Mikko didn't run in the same group as other top WRC drivers, but still - his outburst towards the organisation grew into too big proportions. He might have lost a few seconds there, but it for sure wasn't easy conditions for his competitors either.

Day 2 we started in Jukojärvi 1. Had damage on my friend's car's rim and tyre while driving to the official park, that lowered the feeling for a bit, but soon we were back on track. We aimed at the buzzed, difficult over crest right 1,0 km from the new start of the stage. While walking the stage, you couldn't tell 50 meters from the 90 degree turn which direction it goes. Many familiar runki faces in the spectators. It must've scared the drivers in the recce too as basically nothing happened (two late runners visited the field a little, as there were no ditch, no damage nor huge timeloss). At that place we witnessed Mikko at the angriest, had he kept that, this rally could've been a different story. Also Östberg and Ogier were really going for it. Neuville went just a little wide and I think that could've mentally hold him down a little. He lost the odd 10 seconds on the stage.

For Jukojärvi 2 we oddly walked further from the car, but found a nice, a little different place compared to our previous stops. Almost three-hour gap until first car though. The place was definitely the fastest I've been to in years in Finland. Fast section preceed it and what we saw was some 200 metres with a small jump and high speed right. The remark I made of Meeke earlier was apparent in here. He lifted it a little where as other were on it. Also, as it was second run, Sordo's and if I remember right Mikkelsen's car were only one on sump guard in the ruts. After Ketomaa we ran for it.

As our plan failed a little here, we decided to go to Lankamaa 2 and gain one more hour, even if Lankamaa is almost one hour further than Mökkiperä. Easy parking and nice shortcut to a place near start, the somewhat famous fast approach to very narrow bridge, then few fast bends. Relaxed last stage of the day for us. Only Gryazin had an absolutely hot moment in the bridge. He went wide on the entrance, rear left almost hit the bridge, then corrected in the bridge and almost hit the bridge with rear right. Gryazin is a name to remember, he drove boldly throughout the event until...

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[Hartusvuori]

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Most of the Day 3 we stayed at Surkee, but in three different places. We started at the end loop, a place with long view over nice bends. The section ended in a view of a jump that kicked the rear of the cars abruptly. Nice, relaxed place. We came in early, but WRC TV were there even earlier. We had the flags up near one of the sponsor stands. Then some 30 minutes before 1st car a photographer arrives and wants to have our Juho/Blue Oval -flag removed. JML/VW -flag could stay, as he worked for VW. I didn't want to argue about, I was there to relax, so we made a compromise and I removed the Juho flag into another place. WRC TV guy was very nice about it, he promised it'll be in the shots, and it did. Still, irritated how the commercialism is intervening in such way. Considering we were perhaps only Finns with fan flags (some have their home-made, sprayed Finnish flags, but that's all), the little there is should be kept for the atmosphere.

Between Surkee 1 and 2 we stayed in the loop for Vetomies but went for the field right which is famous crash scene from a winter event in the past. This was recced and the ruts were like rails, so nothing occured. However, the fastest guys there (Salminen, Kuhanen, Bäck, etc.) were really refreshing to watch for a change. Sad how many of the crews had already retired before the finish of the first stage. More than 50% of Vetomies crews retired from the event.

For Surkee 2 we changed the place completely, now earlier in the stage a place we stayed in 2011 when it was run the opposite direction. It's a narrow road, had a nice jump which landed just before a flat ground rock. No marshalls, only a few people, full sunshine, so it was nice place to spectate jumps from a close distance. Villanueva made it into the ditch on the first run, but on the second loop, only some very nice, 20-25 meter jumps. Definitely the most intense place we stayed at in the rally.

Then it was already time for the last stage of the rally, Painaa 2. We were at a junction right with a nice view on the approach. There was a not small, but not big either ground rock inside the junction. Many of the WRC cars went over it with front right tyre being open, but it caused no confusion. Neuville was clearly on attack here. In the end it was a bit of sleepy place to end the rally, but nevertheless, it had already been four nice days in the stages, so we were ready for home.

Competition wise the podium guys stood out from the rest.
- Ogier was in complete control over the weekend. It was shame that Loeb didn't get interested in more starts, because that could've pumped more life into the fight for the top podium. When Ogier is on attack, it's nice to watch, but clearly not at all on all stages he wasn't - still he is super fast and spectacular.
- So many people have said it earlier that Neuville was the man of the rally and I simply have to join them. Such a mature event with only few small mishaps there. He is driving super fast and the most of the time also super clean. Sometimes he can loose it a little, but in this rally the little didn't turn into something big. I hope Neuville will be in Finland next year with machinery that is capable of fighting for the victory. If he continues to develop the way he does, he will win rallies - even from Ogier.
- Östberg is also clearly having his best season so far (speed wise). He drives very spectacular style, but still remains fast. If he would clean his style a little, I'd say he'll get faster still. But when compared to Neuville, this was Thierry's 2nd time in Finland where as for Mads it was 7th or 8th start here in WRC.
- Meeke - lack of competition shows, but he has good speed, he developed and he brings nice attitude to the sport. I would full-heartedly welcome him back.
- Latvala - not much to say. He does the mistakes, but again it was also a little of bad luck. But what's done is done. Last four years he has done very well in Finland, so statistically this was bound to happen. After restart he did okey, but nothing superb.
- Hirvonen - he should've talk less and drove faster. Before the rally I believed he would've had the speed even to beat Ogier, but clearly his prime has gone.
Sordo - was he there? Very much a definition of average in this rally, as well as in this whole season too. If he keeps the unachieving spirit in Germany, he should keep his word at the end of the year.
- Novikov - up until his crash he was nice to spectate, quite crazy in many places. After the crash he clearly just tried to finish. A huge minus for unsportsmanlike conduct in Palsankylä 1.
- Hänninen - before the rally he said he need more a few very good stage times than to finish. He really didn't succeed in either, but still okeyish. Without the mistake, he could've finish fifth or even fourth.
- Nikara - absolute shame how he didn't finish. Mini WRC is not there speedwise, but Nikara made the most of it, he also has good support and attitude. However, after the rally he said that if his chances in becoming a professional rally driver doesn't soon get better, he'll become a farmer. This is an expensive hobby...
- PGA - shame how his spirit was put down with the tech issue in Tamrazov's car on Friday morning loop. He didn't show anything super fast, but still he is not written off yet.
- Ketomaa - I think he did a standard run for him, no problems, in full control. Also good to see that R5 worked it through. He finished now higher with R5 than with WRC last year. Well, that tells more about this year's edition than it does about anything else.
- Kubica - amazing ability to learn, great speed, nice to watch + he has the rally driver attitude. This one's a keeper for WRC.
- Lappi - underperformed hugely, but after the restart his driving looked better and more efficient. Perhaps it was in the car in the first place...
- Paddon - nothing super either, but still a strong performance overall. Kiwis shouldn't worry, this one's a keeper too. And nice guy, too.
- Lukyanuk - I must've had too high hopes from the YouTube videos. Or perhaps you simply can't drive Evo X flamboyantly. Fast he is, times tell that, but he still need to give the adreline rush. Also a fast learner.
- Pajunen - did better after the restart.
- Gryazin, Gilbert, Chardonnet, Vuorisalo, Kinnunen, Tidemand, Fisher, Cronin - all names to remember.
- Surprised how Bertelli did so well, or I don't know his times, but on stages he was much nicer now than in Sweden

My friend's pictures: Neste Oil Rally Finland 2013

In 15 days the shakedown for WRC Germany will start. I have two weeks to rest... :-)

[A.F.F.]

Thanks Hartusvuori. Great report