WRC Rally Finland
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Latvala goes second fastest, 2.0s off Lappi, with an 11m28.3s.
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"I'm just trying to be really smooth. Not attacking, just looking after the tyres. An amazing day, I've got a big smile on my face," says Paddon.
Is three Toyotas in the top four on the cards by the end of this loop? Maybe.
Is three Toyotas in the top four on the cards by the end of this loop? Maybe.
Crucially though that's 3.3s slower than Lappi, his gap over the fifth placed Toyota driver being cut down to only 9.3s.
Suninen's gone faster than Paddon, though. By 0.1s! Paddon clocks an 11m29.6s.
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"It felt good but still the guys behind is coming faster," says Suninen. Two of those behind are driving Toyotas, so it seems safe to bet the house on it.
And that's why he's so sideways - he's really pushing. An 11m29.5s puts him only 3.2s slower than Lappi. Fifth place is slipping away but that's a valiant effort nonetheless.
Suninen gets VERY sideways through a medium left! He was near enough pointing directly at a ditch and the trees behind it. Saves it, though. Don't scare the local fans like that, Teemu.
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"Always you look at the time of the first car but there's nothing we can do," shrugs Ogier, pining for the pace of those Toyotas.
Speaking of Ogier, he's now finished with Kakaristo too. 11m34.9s on the board. 8.6s off Lappi's pace is the closest anyone has gone so far.
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Evans is asked if he's going to be allowed to have a straight fight with Ogier for position, who was only 2.5s ahead of him before this stage.
"I don't think so, otherwise it wouldn't have made sense to do what we did yesterday."
Holding pattern in eighth place it is, then.
"I don't think so, otherwise it wouldn't have made sense to do what we did yesterday."
Holding pattern in eighth place it is, then.
Elfyn Evans clocks in with an 11m38.1s. That's 11.8s off Lappi. He looked like was pushing yet couldn't even get close to Lappi's time. Those Toyotas are mega on home turf.
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"On the Ouninpohja small road really close. There's not much space to make a mistake but a nice run," says Lappi.
"There's so many people watching on Kakaristo junction, I can't believe it."
"There's so many people watching on Kakaristo junction, I can't believe it."
Stopwatch
12 seconds faster than Neuville. 12.0s! Bogey rally for Hyundai or not, that's fast from Lappi.
Stopwatch
Here we go again! Lappi is 9.2s up on Neuville at the penultimate split.
Even with some of last year's Ouninpohja stage removed, Kakaristo is still fast. That second spare wheel hurt Breen's speed in the quicker sections.
Neuville has trumped Breen for the first time today. The Citroen driver sets an 11m39.3s, 1.0s off Neuville's pace.
Neuville goes a fair bit faster than Mikkelsen, setting an 11m38.3s. That's 7.4s faster, and with how slow the Hyundai pair have been today compared to their rivals, those times will tumble further.
Our first time is in - Mikkelsen records an 11m45.7s.
Lappi is already one second up on Breen at the first split, and 1.8s ahead of Neuville at the same point.
Breen is 1.1s up on Neuville at the third split, but the first of our Toyotas is underway. Esapekka Lappi has entered the stage.
Craig Breen and Paul Nagle on Rally Finland in 2012. They rolled their Fiesta S2000 entering the dense Kakaristo spectator zone that year. Fingers crossed it doesn't happen this time. Photo: Motorsport Images
Thankfully it's been a much calmer return to Kakaristo so far for Breen than in 2012, in which he rolled his Ford Fiesta S2000. He was co-driven at that point by Kris Meeke's long-time co-driver Paul Nagle.
Neuville increases his gap to 2.4s by the second split, with Breen now on the move.
Neuville's on his way now too. He's 1.7s up on his team-mate Mikkelsen at the first split.
It appears one of the local Honda Civic Type-Rs which ran through here earlier this morning has been left by the roadside, as Mikkelsen flies by it. They're incredibly common in the Finnish championship, not so much in the WRC however
Green flag
Mikkelsen gets us underway once more. He's currently 13th but only 14.4s behind second placed WRC2 runner Eerik Pietarinen. Another place gained is on the cards, at least. It's something.
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Here's Seb Marshall, co-driver to Hayden Paddon, with his take on the Kakaristo test.
SS14/17 Kakaristo (14.70 miles)
We start on the same section of stage we used in 2014, it’s really narrow and technical. We then come back onto what’s known as the middle road in Ouninpohja, the more traditional part of the stage. We follow this – in the same direction as last year – for five kilometres which includes the famous Amazon jump which has a tendency to throw the car sideways in the air – remember that famous picture of Tanak last year? And then we come to Kakaristo junction.
We go over Tommi’s jump and continue down through the narrow section almost to the end of what would be the full length of Ouninpohja stage before we turn off at the final junction and head into what was the Hassi stage in 2011. This is a great idea of the organisers, it’s a fantastic stretch to the finish including one jump which leads into a left over a jump, this caused carnage further down the field a few years ago as the cars flew over the first jump and then simply could make the next corner.
SS14/17 Kakaristo (14.70 miles)
We start on the same section of stage we used in 2014, it’s really narrow and technical. We then come back onto what’s known as the middle road in Ouninpohja, the more traditional part of the stage. We follow this – in the same direction as last year – for five kilometres which includes the famous Amazon jump which has a tendency to throw the car sideways in the air – remember that famous picture of Tanak last year? And then we come to Kakaristo junction.
We go over Tommi’s jump and continue down through the narrow section almost to the end of what would be the full length of Ouninpohja stage before we turn off at the final junction and head into what was the Hassi stage in 2011. This is a great idea of the organisers, it’s a fantastic stretch to the finish including one jump which leads into a left over a jump, this caused carnage further down the field a few years ago as the cars flew over the first jump and then simply could make the next corner.
We're back for our next stage, Kakaristo. It used part of the legendary Ouninpohja stage which was culled this season for safety reasons, due to rising average speeds.
It's still got the iconic - and now eponymous - Kakaristo junction, though, filled to the brim with Finnish fans. And a fair few Estonians following our rally leader too.
It's still got the iconic - and now eponymous - Kakaristo junction, though, filled to the brim with Finnish fans. And a fair few Estonians following our rally leader too.
It's still a little bit of a wait until our next stage, so we'll take a brief pause and be back in around 10 minutes. Just enough time to stock up on snacks and make a cup of brew before Kakaristo kicks off. Assuming you're as fast as Tanak, at least.
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There's not just plenty of spectators but also plenty of racing drivers spectating this weekend. Two of Toyota's Le Mans drivers, Kazuki Nakajima and Kamui Kobayashi, are visiting their employer's rally team while sometime Formula 1 driver Heikki Kovalainen has gone out to the stages too.
Can you guess which driver he's focussed on? Of course you can...
Can you guess which driver he's focussed on? Of course you can...
Nobody can beat him, but the shirt off Ott Tanak’s back is available for €30… - DAVID EVANS
The Finns might not be having it all their own way at this year’s Rally Finland, but they’re the only collective nation of rally stars who have their own sunglasses. Surely this comes as some consolation. Probably not. - DAVID EVANS
As our crews make their way to our next stage, a quick intermission with what our Rallies Editor DAVID EVANS has spotted at the service park.
There's a podium position swap at last in the WRC2 support category. Skoda factory talent Ole Christian Veiby had been threatening to nick third place off Hyundai's young development driver Jari Huttunen and at last, he's got the job done.
2.2s faster through this stage by Veiby gets him to third place by 0.6s. As gaps go it's tiny, but he's only back here due to an off that damaged his brakes while leading on Friday. Huttunen will need to pull something extra out of the bag here.
2.2s faster through this stage by Veiby gets him to third place by 0.6s. As gaps go it's tiny, but he's only back here due to an off that damaged his brakes while leading on Friday. Huttunen will need to pull something extra out of the bag here.
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It's as you were in the overall standings after that short blast. Gaps between Lappi over Suninen and Ogier over Evans have both extended ever so slightly.
Keep an eye on that gap between Ostberg and Latvala though. That Toyota Yaris underneath Latvala is the quickest car here, which is no surprise given it's built just 9 miles down the road from rally HQ in Jyvaskyla.
Meanwhile Ostberg needs to secure a result to prove himself the antithesis of the man he replaced at Citroen, Kris Meeke. Even a third place would do nicely.
Overall classification after SS16 Tuohikotanen
1. Tanak 1h43m20.0s
2. Ostberg +17.6s
3. Latvala +44.6s
4. Paddon +1m18.4s
5. Lappi +1m31.0s
6. Suninen +1m37.0s
7. Ogier +1m56.2s
8. Evans +1m58.7s
9. Breen +2m29.6s
10. Neuville +3m14.2s
Keep an eye on that gap between Ostberg and Latvala though. That Toyota Yaris underneath Latvala is the quickest car here, which is no surprise given it's built just 9 miles down the road from rally HQ in Jyvaskyla.
Meanwhile Ostberg needs to secure a result to prove himself the antithesis of the man he replaced at Citroen, Kris Meeke. Even a third place would do nicely.
Overall classification after SS16 Tuohikotanen
1. Tanak 1h43m20.0s
2. Ostberg +17.6s
3. Latvala +44.6s
4. Paddon +1m18.4s
5. Lappi +1m31.0s
6. Suninen +1m37.0s
7. Ogier +1m56.2s
8. Evans +1m58.7s
9. Breen +2m29.6s
10. Neuville +3m14.2s
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So, a quick recap on those stage times first of all. A Toyota 1-2-3 to the surprise of few.
SS16 Tuohikotanen
1. Tanak 4m26.0s
=. Latvala +0.0s
3. Lappi +0.9s
4. Paddon +1.9s
5. Suninen +3.2s
6. Ostberg +3.3s
7. Ogier +3.5s
8. Evans +4.1s
9. Breen +4.8s
10. Neuville +5.0s
SS16 Tuohikotanen
1. Tanak 4m26.0s
=. Latvala +0.0s
3. Lappi +0.9s
4. Paddon +1.9s
5. Suninen +3.2s
6. Ostberg +3.3s
7. Ogier +3.5s
8. Evans +4.1s
9. Breen +4.8s
10. Neuville +5.0s
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Tanak has battened down the hatches on this one, so to speak.
"Conditions are much more rough now so I had to avoid a lot of stones. I tried to be careful," he explains.
"For sure it's not the same speed as pushing but I'm still in a good rhythm."
There's pace in the bag in case of emergency, then.
"Conditions are much more rough now so I had to avoid a lot of stones. I tried to be careful," he explains.
"For sure it's not the same speed as pushing but I'm still in a good rhythm."
There's pace in the bag in case of emergency, then.
Checkered flag
Tanak gets the stage win...but so does Latvala! Both Toyota drivers are tied on an 4m26.0s.
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Ostberg's drive to second place has been an impressive one even with favourable road position, considering how his year started, with only a bit-part programme announced in January at Autosport International.
Is this a new chapter in his career?
"Yeah, lets hope so, continuing on the previous book," he quips.
Is this a new chapter in his career?
"Yeah, lets hope so, continuing on the previous book," he quips.
By: Matt Beer
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