Stobart VK M-Sport Ford drivers Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson are preparing to take on one of the most hotly anticipated events on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar, Neste Oil Rally Finland, the ninth round of the championship. One of the oldest events on the calendar, Rally Finland is also a firm favourite with drivers and fans alike as it lives up to its fearsome reputation as the fastest rally of the year where only the most skilful and brave drivers will succeed.
The team arrive in Jyväskylä after a strong performance at Rally Poland, which saw Solberg and co-driver Cato Menkerud take their second podium finish of the season. That rally proved to be excellent preparation for Rally Finland, with the fast, flowing stages giving the crews a taste of what to expect when they take on one of the calendar’s classic rallies next week.
Pre-event testing in their reliable Ford Focus RS WRCs in the lead up to the event should also ensure that both Stobart crews are on top form when the rally gets underway on Thursday night.
Solberg was frustrated by his car on the opening day of Rally Poland as he fought to find the right set-up. But things came good for the Norwegian as the rally progressed and a hard-charging performance on the closing day saw him move up to take a hard-fought third place. That result, and the knowledge gained from his experience in Finland last year where he was lying third after day 1, should put him in contention for another podium battle.
Wilson and co-driver Scott Martin also performed well in Poland and, with three years’ experience of Rally Finland now under his belt, Wilson is ready to make the step up from his previous best finish of ninth, in an event that is rarely won by anyone who did not grow up on the blisteringly fast roads of the Finnish lake district.
The rally gets underway on Thursday night with the traditional opening Super Special Stage at the Killeri trotting track where thousands of fans are expected to turn out and cheer on their idols over the 2.06km course. A season-record 90 cars have been entered for the rally with competition set to be fierce throughout the field.
Around 50 per cent of the stages used in last year’s rally remain in the itinerary for this year’s edition but many others have been modified while three new stages have been introduced to the schedule. Gone are the famous, but ultra-fast, Ouninpohja tests but the unique challenge of Rally Finland still remains.
Day 1 will take the crews to the north west of Service Park through 130.84kms of high-speed gravel roads where the accuracy of their pacenotes will be properly tested for the first time in the rally. Fearsome crests in the stages hide fast bends and the drivers will also have heavy demands placed on their concentration.
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