The conditions during Friday’s special stages were challenging, but Ogier navigated the day successfully. The eight-time world champion is currently in third place and firmly in the fight for victory.
Ogier is competing in Jyväskylä after a three-year hiatus, but the French veteran has not lost any of his speed. He arrived at the evening service in third position.
“I had a moment in this first pass in Ruuhimäki this morning but after that I think it was okay. In this condition, sometimes you need to have some little moment. I tried to enjoy the day with this condition,” Ogier said.
“Let’s hope for a little less rain tomorrow and maybe more enjoyable conditions.”
Toyota holds the top three positions at the end of Friday. Kalle Rovanperä leads with an eight-second advantage over Elfyn Evans. Ogier is just 0.6 seconds behind Evans after ten special stages.
The French star closed in on Evans during Friday evening’s Harju special stage, where he was the fastest of the entire field. Ogier was informed by RallyJournal.com upon arriving at the evening service that he is only 8.6 seconds behind the leader.
He then issued a bold challenge to his teammates Rovanperä and Evans.
“My plan for tomorrow? Simple plan. Pedal to the metal,” Ogier laughed.
“This is the kind of rally where if you don’t push, you cannot do anything.”
On Saturday, the Rally Finland will feature legendary special stages, including Ouninpohja and Päijälä.
