Quote Originally Posted by jonkka View Post
Testing advantage is interesting topic and I am not most qualified one to analyze it. I know that M-Sport has it's own test track next to factory and I feel that that is the way every team should go - in addition of having on-site tests on actual roads. But I believe we have more knowledgeable members who can prove me wrong in this subject.
Finnish gravel roads ar not just "Finnish gravel roads." They have huge differences in character, just drive Ouininpuhja and You'll see that even there it changes a lot.
And Finnish gravel roads have another advantage, there are ha HUGE number of them close to the factory.


Quote Originally Posted by jonkka View Post
In fact, Finnish ASN has relatively little to do with Finnish WRC Champions. Mr Jouhki has done more to this end, as Kankkunen and Makinen (4 titles each) both owe much if not everything to him.
As I have understood it the person in question has had a big role in the Finnish WRC round, which is by far the most succesfull in the WRC. That can't be bad?
Timo Jouhki has off course been important for several Finnish Champions (but not all). But whit out the work of the Finnish ASN it would be no rally drivers to choose from. Timo Joukhi doesn't arrange rallies, get volunteers to be time keepers, arrange parking on rally events, see that there are regulations like the popular Group F that promotes rally (or ralli) as a big sport, etc etc.
Both the Finnish ASN and the organisers are very important, and they have done a really really good job.


Quote Originally Posted by jonkka View Post
It was but is no longer as French have taken (or stolen) the scepter from Finns.
Not by a mile. Finland is the only country in the World where Rally is seen as a national sport. The only two countries I can think of that actually come close is Barbados and Ireland.
Though France has had two great champions, rally by no means a competitor of bigger sports like soccer.

Finland is the rally capital of the world, and by being that, and a country that can manage huge technological engineering feats (like Nokia), Finland can be a great place to run a rally team from.