The race will celebrate its 75th anniversary this summer, and the list of participants paints a picture befitting this special occasion.
The iconic gravel rally will once again bring the biggest stars of the World Rally Championship (WRC) to central Finland; all three Rally1 manufacturers are arriving in Jyväskylä with strong lineups.
Toyota's driver lineup remains unchanged. The Japanese manufacturer will compete with five Rally1 cars in its home race; Sébastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari are confirmed participants.
Hyundai's lineup is as expected. Esapekka Lappi will drive the team's third Rally1 car alongside Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux.
M-Sport Ford will again be represented by Josh McErlean, Jon Armstrong, and Martins Sesks.
Home drivers are expected to receive great support.
“The Rally1 category offers the best. Every factory team is coming with their full squad, Toyota is registering five cars for their home race and the biggest stars of the championship will be here. It’s particularly great to see two top Finnish drivers, Sami Pajari and Esapekka Lappi; they will undoubtedly receive tremendous support from the home fans,” said Rally Finland race director Kai Tarkiainen.
Lappi won the Finland Rally in 2017 with Toyota, and many Finnish rally fans will be happy to see him back on the starting line. This could also be their last opportunity to watch him compete in a Rally1 car on his home soil.
“It’s fantastic to have another chance to drive my own rally in a Rally1 car. The last few years have left me with a constant desire for ‘more,’ so this time I want to enjoy the rally and the atmosphere rather than the result. Of course, we’ll still take it seriously, but with a more relaxed mindset. This will be the last time Rally1 cars are seen in Central Finland; it might also be my last time here, so I want to savor every moment,” said Lappi.
Strong Finnish presence in WRC2
The WRC2 lineup is equally impressive. Almost all of the leading contenders will be on the track; among them are strong Finnish names: Janni Hussi, along with Teemu Suninen, Roope Korhonen, Emil Lindholm, Lauri Joona and Tuukka Kauppinen.
Estonian young talent Robert Virves is another name to watch; he is expected to put up a strong fight against the Finnish candidates.
The Finland Rally will take place from July 30th to August 2nd.