Official rally Finland thread

[Finni]

I was today watching drivers in Helsinki. There were perhaps over thousand people asking signatures from drivers.

I said for Jari-Matti that I wait to see him in top three after first day. Other driver with whom I talked was Petter. First I shouted for him: "I like your driving very much but not your current hairstyle". Petter and some other drivers answered with bit of laugh. Then I said that "next will be yours here in Finland". Petter answered with his cocky style: "No, already this year".

I am waiting fierce battle between Marcus and Sebastien. I wouldn't even say that Marcus is necessarily the favourite. C4 has been really good in fast rallies (Argentina and Mexico) and Marcus is number one sweeper over six stages. On the other hand Marcus has won the rally every time he has been works driver - except once when he had technical failure. There is also new stages and they are more or less familiar to him from old times. So we will have very interesting battle to see.

Between top-two Hirvonen and P. Solberg are obviously the two most strongest. In my view Petter might be slightly faster but he will probably take big risks. Subaru still has second and third dayn problems. Petter said in Helsinki that they are real problems and their technical roots are identified but not solved yet.

The only driver I can see truelly challenging Petter-Hirvonen pair is Latvala. Latvala might even in the top-three after friday as I said for him. He has very good road position. Overally it has to be noted that there is more sweeping km's for top-guys because only half of the stages are used second time during the first day. This may mean that we will see same kind of situation as in Greece where the margin between the leader and sixth place was really narrow. Chris Atkinson has always been good in Finland and I think that he might be very good especially in the first day.

I wonder Henning can challange Jari-Matti but he is probably chasing top-five. Same goes to Sordo.

There is many Mitsubishi drivers but overally I think that they have competition of their own. Mitsu was never good in Finland and it's less now.

In group N I waith that the world's fastest group N driver Jari Ketomaa will show the pace.

[Tomi]

i dont think sweeping will play any big role, it has been raining and the roads are clean, else too here in finland first out is not the same as elsewhere the roads are so hardpacked gravel.

[jonkka]

On the other hand Marcus has won the rally every time he has been works driver - except once when he had technical failure.

1992 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2003. I count five non-wins as a works driver. Yet, he is the favourite but Seb is very close.

[Miika]

Too bad J-M hasn´t had the chance to test at all for this event, so it´ll propably take him a day or a half to get in to the pace again. So I doubt he could match Mikko. And as for Petter, he´ll have to use every risk and trick available to get decent times, propably ending in slipping off the road at some point.

[A.F.F.]

The current weather favors Marcus and all the front runners. Many have said Mikko is out there fighting for win but in the end there is only two, Marcus and Sebastien.

I agree with Finni, the next group will be Hirvonen, Solberg jr and Latvala. Then there is the rest of the gang of whom many I don't expect to see the finish line.

Mitsus will have their own championship indeed.

I'm very interested to see how close will Alen be to Ketomäki and what has Flodin say about that.

All in all, there is going to be one helluva rally Finland again

[White Sauron]

Well, after seing Alen in action at Rally Russia, I'm 200% sure he\s favorite for GroupN victory. What he did with his Punto S2000 is similar to what other fyling finns do at the wheel of their Focuses... (remember Hirvonen, Colin's Crest 2006)

I launched the site devoted to Alen. Anyone who can and wants to help - just write...

alen.bravehost.com... for the beginning.

[A.F.F.]

Btw.. has anyone voted your favourite Karjala girl already ??

http://www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi/s...t/default.html

[pino]

Wish I was going there this year too, but only to see Alen in action with the SuperPunto :

[White Sauron]

My vote goes to Gatlin))) mmmm)

http://alen.bravehost.com/

[SubaruNorway]

Btw.. has anyone voted your favourite Karjala girl already ??

http://www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi/s...t/default.html

Top left for sure