SS7-8: Latvala leads in Finland at leg 2 midpoint

Kakaristo comprised a large part of the classic Ouninpohja stage but with some of the wide road roller-coaster sections missing. It was last used in 2008, but in the opposite direction. Painaa was a mix of old familiar tests and used as the Power Stage in 2013.

Kris Meeke and Sébastien Ogier claimed stage victories through Kakaristo and Painaa, but it was Jari-Matti Latvala who headed the standings at Neste Oil Rally Finland as competitors returned to the Jyväskylä service park for mid-leg service.

Citroen’s Meeke claimed his maiden stage success in Finland after edging Mikko Hirvonen by 0.9sec in the slippery Kakaristo. The roads were covered in loose gravel, conditions that handed an advantage to the later starters.

Normal service was resumed in Painaa as Ogier headed Volkswagen colleague Latvala by 0.9sec. That meant the two arrived in service separated by 8.4sec. Meeke was the only driver anywhere near the leading duo, the Briton 13.1sec off the lead.

Mikko Hirvonen moved his Ford Fiesta RS up to fourth, 39.1sec behind Latvala, when Juho Hänninen rolled his Hyundai i20 earlier in the morning. Although the damage was not great, Hänninen completed the final two tests with no windscreen and lost more time when the dashboard fell into the lap of co-driver Tomi Tuominen.

Andreas Mikkelsen is fifth but a more confident Mads Ostberg closed in and they were split by just 0.8sec. Hayden Paddon holds a 2.3sec advantage over Thierry Neuville in seventh, the Belgian describing his i20 as ‘undriveable’ after he wiped the rear wing from the car earlier.

Elfyn Evans and Martin Prokop complete the leaderboard in their Fiesta RS cars, but the similar vehicle of Robert Kubica went no further than 1.6km into the opening stage before the pole went off the road.

In WRC 2, Jari Ketomaa continues to lead in his Fiesta R5. The Finn holds a comfortable 49.4sec lead over Karl Kruuda, with Sébastien Chardonnet third, a further 33.9sec behind.