Jari-Matti Latvala, winner of 2010 Rally Finland. All photos from WRC.com .
Winning at home for the very first time, Finnish World Rally Championship driver Jari-Matti Latvala (BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT) became the youngest ever to win a WRC Rally Finland last weekend.
Latvala's victory (with co-driver Miikka Anttila) in the 2010 WRC Rally Finland was his second of the season, and forth time in his career that he took first place at the WRC level. The "two day" rally, based in Jyväskylä, Finland, took place July 29 – July 31, 2010.
Look over the following title linked articles, and listen to the daily podcasts, from WRC.com to review this event. Preview articles were included in the previous couple regular 'Reading And Viewing List' blog entries.
Hirvonen fastest at Finland Shakedown
Posted at WRC.com on July 29, 2010
Finn Mikko Hirvonen got his quest for a second victory on his home rally off to a perfect start earlier today by setting the fastest time at the pre-event shakedown for Neste Oil Rally Finland.
The four hour test - a prelude to this weekend's rally - took place on a 4.46km gravel road in Muurame, 10km from the Jyvasykla Servce Park. The stage is a new choice for Shakedown and replaces Laajavuori, which will be used as part of this year’s competitive route. Conditions were dry, sunny and humid throughout the test, with the temperature peaking at a sweltering 34 degrees Celsius...
Record breaking weather a hot topic in Finland
Posted at WRC.com on July 29, 2010
The baking hot weather that has descended on Jyvaskyla, venue of the 60th Neste Oil Rally Finland, is likely to be replaced by colder temperatures and rain when the World Rally Championship qualifier gets underway in earnest tomorrow (Friday).
Ambient temperatures have hovered around 36 degrees centigrade throughout the week as Finland enjoys its hottest summer since 1934...
WRC Rally Finland 2010 - Pre Event Podcast - Thursday
Posted at WRC.com on July 29, 2010
Listen to the pre-rally podcast for Rally Finland.
Finland route and stages - Thursday and Friday
Posted at WRC.com on July 29, 2010
The opening section of Neste Oil Rally Finland is split over two days, with a short sprint stage kicking things off on Thursday night, followed by ten high-speed stages in the countryside west and north-east of host town Jyvaskyla on Friday...
SS1: Petter leads after opening stage in Finland
Posted at WRC.com on July 29, 2010
Petter Solberg moved into an early lead of the 2010 Neste Oil Rally Finland after setting the fastest time on Thursday evening’s opening stage.
The Citroen C4 WRC driver completed the short Laajavuori sprint stage in 2min 33.2sec, exactly one second quicker than his nearest rival, Ford team-leader Mikko Hirvonen...
SS2: Hirvonen takes the rally lead on Friday’s opener
Posted at WRC.com on July 30, 2010
Mikko Hirvonen moved into the lead of Rally Finland on Friday’s opening stage after completing the 12.75km Urria 2.1sec quicker than anyone else.
The Finn, who won Neste Oil Finland in 2009, jumped ahead of overnight leader Petter Solberg who slipped to third overall. Hirvonen’s team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala set the second-quickest time and moved into second overall, putting the two BP Ford Abu Dhabi team cars in the top two positions...
SS3: Another stage win for Hirvonen
Posted at WRC.com on July 30, 2010
Mikko Hirvonen extended his lead in Finland to 4.9sec after setting the fastest time through the 22km Jukojarvi. Hirvonen’s second consecutive stage win came despite an incident 4.6km from the start line when his car struck a roadside post which broke off and struck the windscreen...
SS4: Leader Hirvonen rolls out of Rally Finland
Posted at WRC.com on July 30, 2010
Rally leader Mikko Hirvonen made a dramatic exit from Friday’s competition in Finland after suffering a high speed multiple roll on SS4.
The Finn rolled his Ford Focus RS WRC five times on a right-hand bend 9km from the start line. It’s a corner Mikko has described previously as his favorite in the whole championship...
Crash Hirvonen WRC Finland Day 1
Posted at motorstelevision YouTube channel July 30, 2010
SS5: Sordo fastest, but Solberg leads
Posted at WRC.com on July 30, 2010
Citroen driver Dani Sordo was the fastest driver through the repeated Jukojarvi test while Petter Solberg completed Friday morning’s loop with a 1.3 second overall lead of Neste Oil Rally Finland...
Midday wrap: Solberg leads in Finland as Hirvonen crashes out
Posted at WRC.com on July 30, 2010
Petter Solberg holds a slender lead on Neste Oil Rally Finland after the opening loop of stages but the big talking point so far has been the accident that eliminated local hero Mikko Hirvonen from the high-speed gravel event.
Hirvonen, driving a factory Ford Focus RS WRC, had been setting a rapid pace and was leading by 4.9s after three special stages only to crash out on a right-hander nine kilometres into stage four, the 12.75-kilometre Urria test...
SS6: Stage winner Latvala closes in on the lead
Posted at WRC.com on July 30, 2010
Jari-Matti Latvala bagged his first stage win of the rally on SS6 and narrowed the gap on overall leader Petter Solberg to just one-tenth of a second.
Latvala, carrying the hopes of the BP Ford Abu Dhabi squad following his team-mate’s earlier retirement, was 1.2sec quicker than Solberg through the 24km Lankamaa...
Update after SS8: Jari-Matti Latvala leads in Finland
Posted at WRC.com on July 30, 2010
Jari-Matti Latvala moved into a slender lead of Neste Oil Rally Finland on SS7, and he extended his advantage to 7.9sec on SS8.
A stage win for the Ford Focus RS driver on a showery SS7 was enough to edge him ahead of Petter Solberg by 2.7sec, but in drier conditions on SS8 he pulled another five seconds clear...
Update after SS10: Latvala still out front
Posted at WRC.com on July 30, 2010
Jari-Matti Latvala continues to lead Neste Oil Rally Finland after SS10 and has extended his advantage over second placed Petter Solberg to exactly 10 seconds.
Latvala set the fastest time through the short SS9 but was beaten on SS10 by the men ahead of him in the start order - Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier...
Hirvonen will fight on, says team boss Wilson
Posted at WRC.com on July 30, 2010
Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson has backed Mikko Hirvonen to hit back from the huge accident he suffered on Rally Finland’s fourth stage earlier today.
Hirvonen was leading his home rally by 4.9s when he rolled five times following a heavy landing after a crest. Neither Hirvonen nor co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen was injured in the crash but their Ford Focus RS WRC suffered extensive damage...
Friday wrap: Latvala on top on Neste Oil Rally Finland
Posted at WRC.com on July 30, 2010
Jari-Matti Latvala will start the final day of Neste Oil Rally Finland with a 9.1-second lead over Petter Solberg following a dramatic start to the event, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
Finn Latvala has never won his home rally before in seven previous attempts and will have to withstand huge pressure from Solberg - who has also yet to win the high-speed event - over the final eight all-gravel stages on Saturday...
WRC Rally Finland 2010 - End Of Day One Podcast - Friday
Posted at WRC.com on July 30, 2010
Listen to the podcast for Friday of Rally Finland.
Neste Oil Rally Finland route and stages - Saturday
Posted at WRC.com on July 30, 2010
The second day of Neste Oil Rally Finland is the longest of the event and also the final one, thanks to the new compact itinerary adopted this year.
Saturday’s route is based south-west of host town Jyvaskyla on roads near Jämsä and Mänttä...
SS12: Latvala leads from the front
Posted at WRC.com on July 31, 2010
Early rain in Jyvaskyla played into the hands of rally leader Jari-Matti Latvala, who found more grip on Saturday’s opening gravel stage than he had expected running first on the road.
The Ford Focus RS WRC driver extended his lead over Petter Solberg from 9.1sec to 12.2sec, helped in part by a bad start from the Norwegian who said he didn’t wake up until the 6km point...
SS13: Citroen attack nets Ogier second place
Posted at WRC.com on July 31, 2010
Citroen C4 WRC driver Sebastien Ogier moved ahead of Petter Solberg into second place on the 29km Vaarinmaja stage, slotting in 15.2sec behind rally leader Jari-Matti Latvala.
Ogier’s team-mate Sebastien Loeb was also on a charge - setting the fastest time and moving closer to a podium finish...
SS14: Latvala still out front after Saturday’s opening loop
Posted at WRC.com on July 31, 2010
Jari-Matti Latvala responded to the rapid pace of the Citroens on SS13 by flooring his Ford Focus RS WRC though SS14 and taking a remarkable stage win.
On one of the fastest stages of the rally, peppered with blind crests and sweeping corners, the Finn was 7.3sec quicker than anybody else. The time edged him further ahead at the top of the leaderboard and sent a clear signal to the Citroen C4 WRC driver behind him - Sebastien Ogier...
SS15: Sebastien Ogier keeps up the Latvala attack
Posted at WRC.com on July 31, 2010
Fresh from the 30-minute service break, Sebastien Ogier resumed his fight for the lead on SS15, setting another rapid stage time and trimming Jari-Matti Latvala’s advantage to 16.1sec...
SS16: Sebastien Loeb snatches third from Petter
Posted at WRC.com on July 31, 2010
After narrowing the gap to Petter Solberg on each of Saturday’s stages so far, Sebastien Loeb finally moved ahead on SS16, securing third place by 6.4sec from the Norwegian.
Loeb’s fastest time through the 20km Himos slotted him 9.1sec behind his team-mate Sebastien Ogier and set-up a fascinating inter-team battle on the three stages which remain...
After SS17: Latvala still leads in Finland with two stages left
Posted at WRC.com on July 31, 2010
Jari-Matti Latvala is two stages away from winning Neste Oil Rally Finland for the first time. But with the factory Ford driver’s advantage standing at 10.6 seconds after SS17, the World Rally Championship event is set for a thrilling climax in Jyvaskyla this evening with Sebastien Ogier looking menacing for Citroen...
SS18: Latvala clears the penultimate hurdle
Posted at WRC.com on July 31, 2010
Rally leader Jari-Matti Latvala will take an 11 second advantage into the final stage in Finland after clearing the penultimate test without incident.
The Finn set the fastest time through the repeated 21km Leustu stage, with Sebastien Ogier his closest rival and Petter Solberg rounding off the top three times...
BREAKING NEWS: Latvala wins Neste Oil Rally Finland!
Posted at WRC.com on July 31, 2010
Finn Jari-Matti Latvala sealed an historic victory on Neste Oil Rally Finland today, becoming the youngest driver to win the event since it joined the World Rally Championship in 1973.
Latvala, 25, took the lead on SS7 in his BP Ford Abu Dhabi team Focus RS WRC and held it ever since, successfully fending off a full-on attack today from Citroen Total team driver Sebastien Ogier...
08 Rally Finland 2010
Highlights posted at WRCNorthAmerica YouTube channel July 31, 2010
Latvala flies to emotional Rally Finland victory
Posted at WRC.com on July 31, 2010
Jari-Matti Latvala has won Neste Oil Rally Finland, round eight of the 2010 FIA World Rally Championship. Co-driven by Miikka Anttila, Latvala took the lead on stage seven and drove without error to land his second win of the season.
The Finn, who breaks Markku Alen’s record as the youngest winner of the high-speed gravel event, withstood late pressure from factory Citroen pilot Sebastien Ogier to secure an emotional home victory...
Jari-Matti Latvala Q&A
Posted at WRC.com on July 31, 2010
Jari-Matti congratulations on your first win at Rally Finland. How does it feel to stand on the top step of the podium at your home event?
“It feels really amazing. It’s unbelievable. So good, and such a relief, and with all these people you saw at the podium and in the stages, they come to support you so you can win it. There are no words to describe it, basically. I’m so happy to hear I am the youngest too. Sébastien Loeb has beaten all the records; at least something is left for me!”...
WRC Rally Finland 2010 - End Of Event Podcast - Saturday
Posted at WRC.com on July 31, 2010
Listen to the podcast from the last day of Rally Finland.
Ford WRC 2010 Rally Finland Post Event
Highlights posted at FordWRC YouTube channel on July 31, 2010
Latvala praised by Finnish legends
Posted at WRC.com on August 2, 2010
Jari-Matti Latvala has been tipped as a future world champion after claiming his maiden victory on Neste Oil Rally Finland.
Latvala became the ninth different Finnish driver to win the event and the youngest ever after breaking Markku Alen’s record set in 1976...
The wrc.com review: Neste Oil Rally Finland
Posted at WRC.com on August 2, 2010
Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala is not your typical rally driver, or even your typical Finn. For a start, he doesn’t drink. After celebrating his first win on the Rally Finland - an event that every Finnish driver desperately wants to win - he conceded that on this one occasion he might “taste” a bit of Champagne, but that he certainly wasn’t going to drink.
Unlike many of his tongue-tied compatriots, Latvala also frequently talks - at great length - as if he has swallowed a dictionary. How many other drivers regularly use words such as ‘paradoxical’?...
