Rally Finland will take place in its traditional slot at the turn of July and August. The route has undergone some minor changes, with the biggest modification saved for the rally’s finale.
Sunday will be entirely dedicated to the legendary Ouninpohja special stage, which will be run twice during the day. The organisers have even playfully given the day a new name: Ouniday.
The competition kicks off as usual on Thursday morning with the Ruuhimäki shakedown. In the evening, the rally action begins in earnest with the Harju city stage.
Familiar Friday formula
Friday follows a similar formula to last year. The day starts with the Laukaa stage, identical to the previous edition. From Laukaa, the rally heads to last summer’s newcomer, Saarikas, which will now be driven in the opposite direction.
“This change has provided good new parking areas for spectators, more viewing spots, and easier access to the stage. We also believe the drivers will enjoy tackling the stage in this direction,” said rally director Kai Tarkiainen.
From the Äänekoski region, the rally continues to the iconic Myhinpää stage. Friday’s fourth stage is the legendary Ruuhimäki, known for its spectacular jumps. The same stages will be repeated after the midday service, and the day concludes with another run through Harju in downtown Jyväskylä.
Revamped Saturday
On Saturday, crews will tackle the fast and flowing stages southwest of Jyväskylä.
“We intended to make only minor tweaks compared to last year, but once we laid the map on the table, about half of it had changed,” laughed deputy route manager Kari Nuutinen.
Saturday starts with the Parkkola stage.
“Parkkola has been run in various forms over the years, featuring the Mäkelä village road, which I and many others consider one of the finest rally roads in Central Finland,” Nuutinen noted.
From Parkkola, the rally moves on to Västilä and Päijälä stages, which remain unchanged from last year. The loop concludes with the Leustu stage, featuring new sections that haven’t been used during the WRC era.
After service in Jyväskylä, the same stages will be repeated before the overnight halt.
Ouniday
For the first time in rally history, the world-renowned Ouninpohja stage will have an entire day dedicated to it. This is an unprecedented move, as no other stages will be run on Sunday.
Ouninpohja will be contested in a 24-kilometre format. The first pass is scheduled for 09:35, with the second run taking place just under three hours later, serving as the rally-closing Power Stage.
The stage is exceptionally long for a Power Stage. In the 2021 Arctic Rally Finland, the Power Stage was nearly as long, with the final Aittajärvi stage measuring 22.47 kilometres.
The organisers aim to make Super Sunday easy for spectators. A regroup will take place at Kakaristo between the stages, with the podium ceremony also held there after the Power Stage.
“We considered how best to showcase this legendary stage to rally fans, and we believe this is the way to do it. There’s plenty of space along the stage, allowing fans to find their spots at a relaxed pace and stay for the entire day,” Tarkiainen explained.
Halttunen’s proposal
Kalle Rovanperä‘s co-driver Jonne Halttunen suggested a similar concept for Rally Finland’s finale at the end of 2023. In an interview with Yle Urheilu’s podcast, Halttunen proposed running Ouninpohja twice on Sunday, with separate points awarded for each run.
“I know there would be an intense attack there. And people would all be in the same place. You could add some PR activities: during the break between runs, we could visit a fan zone with lots of people, bringing the sport closer to the fans,” Halttunen envisioned in November 2023.
Currently, separate Sunday points are awarded in WRC events, with the top five drivers of the day earning points on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis. Additionally, the Power Stage offers the same points structure for the five fastest drivers.
This ensures that Ouninpohja will deliver thrilling rally action to conclude the event on 3 August
Rally Finland route and itinerary (CET):
Wednesday 30.7.2025
18.00 Opening ceremony: Jyväskylä harbour
Thursday, 31 July
08:01 Shakedown: Ruuhimäki
18:05 SS1: Harju 1 (2.50 km)
18:40 Service: Paviljonki (15 min)
Friday, 1 August
07:03 SS2: Laukaa 1 (17.96 km)
08:03 SS3: Saarikas 1 (15.80 km)
09:23 SS4: Myhinpää 1 (14.60 km)
10:51 SS5: Ruuhimäki 1 (7.76 km)
12:01 Service: Paviljonki (40 min)
13:44 SS6: Laukaa 2 (17.96 km)
14:44 SS7: Saarikas 2 (15.8 km)
16:04 SS8: Myhinpää 2 (14.60 km)
17:35 SS9: Ruuhimäki 2 (7.76 km)
18:30 SS10: Harju 2 (2.50 km)
19:05 Service: Paviljonki (45 min, flexi)
Saturday, 2 August
07:01 SS11: Parkkola 1 (15.55 km)
08:42 SS12: Västilä 1 (18.94 km)
09:36 SS13: Päijälä 1 (20.19 km)
11:05 SS14: Leustu 1 (16.39 km)
12:35 Service: Paviljonki (40 min)
14:01 SS15: Parkkola 2 (15.55 km)
15:42 SS16: Västilä 2 (18.94 km)
16:36 SS17: Päijälä 2 (20.19 km)
18:05 SS18: Leustu 2 (16.39 km)
19:15 Service: Paviljonki (45 min, flexi)
Sunday, 3 August
09.35 SS19: Ouninpohja 1 (23.98 km)
10.15 Regroup: Kakaristo
12.15 SS20: Ouninpohja 2 (23.98 km) *Power Stage
13.15 Podium: Kakaristo
