Latvala, driving his Toyota Celica with co-driver Janni Hussi, currently holds first place overall after four stages in the rally, which takes place around Kerava.
In second place is Eetu Kortelainen, trailing Latvala by 27 seconds, while Jussi Lindberg is 31.5 seconds off the lead in third.
Latvala pushed hard on the Rahikko stage, which concluded the morning loop, despite not needing to.
“It was slippery on the first few stages. On stages one and two, it felt like I just couldn’t get any grip. On this fourth stage, I heard that ‘Henkka’ Toivonen set the fastest time back in the day with a Talbot, so I had to give it a go,” Latvala explained.
“Janni mentioned at the start of the stage that Toivonen’s time was in our heads – let’s see if we can beat it.”
It’s still unclear whether Latvala managed to beat his idol Henri Toivonen’s performance from over 40 years ago, but he did set the fastest time on the stage with a margin of 12.2 seconds.
There are still three stages remaining before the end of the Hakevuori Rally.
“We’ll head into the afternoon loop and see what it brings. Hopefully it won’t rain so the grip remains a bit more consistent,” Latvala added.
