Neuville blitzed through the 3.48-kilometre city special stage 1.1 seconds faster than Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, who posted the second-best time.
“This was a good start, but the real race begins tomorrow. We had some difficulties during the shakedown because there was something wrong with the car. Hopefully, we’ll have a better feeling tomorrow,” Neuville said.
“Kalle (Rovanperä) and I are locals here, so we know every corner and cut. Hopefully, he also posts a good time. Tomorrow we’ll go flat out,” said Katsuta, who lives in Jyväskylä.
Hyundai’s Estonian star Tänak recorded the third-best time at Harju, 1.3 seconds behind his teammate.
“I’m looking forward to the race, but I don’t know what to expect. This is an incredible race. It can be really challenging but also fun. We’ll put everything on the line,” Tänak said.
Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier was fourth on Thursday evening, ahead of Rovanperä, who said he played it safe. The biggest pre-race favourite is already looking forward to Friday’s forest stages.
“This is always a difficult stage to start the rally. It feels like it’s narrower every year. Since it was still wet, I just wanted to get through this stage. The real fun starts tomorrow,” Rovanperä remarked.
M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux was sixth fastest, ahead of Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi, who clipped his car’s right rear on a stack of tyres. Fortunately for Lappi, only the rear bumper suffered minor cosmetic damage, and no major harm was done.
“We went a bit wide in one corner because there was some dirt. It was a bit stupid. The grip just disappeared. It didn’t go perfectly. I did check during the recce that there was room, but we shouldn’t have gone that wide,” Lappi said.
Toyota’s Elfyn Evans was left in eighth place. Sami Pajari, making his debut with a Rally1 car, was ninth, 4.6 seconds off the lead.
“This is a special moment. Harju always has a great atmosphere. I don’t know if I enjoyed it, as the stage was wet and with 500 horsepower. I took it very cautiously. It’s not an easy place between those concrete walls. The rally starts tomorrow,” Pajari said.
In the WRC2 class, Citroën’s Yohan Rossel posted the fastest time, beating Skoda’s Oliver Solberg by 0.2 seconds. Toyota’s team principal Jari-Matti Latvala was 2.3 seconds off the class best.
“We are the last generation. This is a great product. We have to at least try to match the younger generation. It’s interesting to see their level. It was fun to drive. The home rally is always amazing. You can’t miss it, even at my age. It’s fun to tease the younger ones,” Latvala laughed.
On Friday, the Rally Finland schedule includes nine special stages, covering nearly 120 kilometres.
Results of Rally Finland after SS1/20:
| POS. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | 2:46.1 |
| 2. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | +1.1 |
| 3. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | +1.3 |
| 4. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | +1.4 |
| 5. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | +1.7 |
| 6. | Adrien Fourmaux | Ford | +3.0 |
| 7. | Esapekka Lappi | Hyundai | +3.1 |
| 8. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +3.2 |
| 9. | Sami Pajari | Toyota | +4.6 |
| 10. | Gregoire Munster | Ford | +8.2 |
| 11. | Yohan Rossel | Citroen | +9.6 |
| 12. | Oliver Solberg | Skoda | +9.8 |
Rally Finland Itinerary
Thursday 1 August 10:01 Shakedown: Ruuhimäki (4.12 km) 19:05 SS1: Harju 1 (3.48 km) Friday 2 August 08:13 SS2: Laukaa 1 (17.96 km) 09:20 SS3: Saarikas 1 (15.93 km) 10:35 SS4: Myhinpää 1 (15.51 km) 12:05 SS5: Ruuhimäki 1 (7.76 km) 15:10 SS6: Laukaa 2 (17.96 km) 16:17 SS7: Saarikas 2 (15.93 km) 17:32 SS8: Myhinpää 2 (15.51 km) 19:05 SS9: Ruuhimäki 2 (7.76 km) 20:05 SS10: Harju 2 (3.48 km) Saturday 3 August 09:05 SS11: Västilä 1 (18.94 km) 10:05 SS12: Päijälä 1 (20.19 km) 11:05 SS13: Ouninpohja 1 (32.98 km) 15:35 SS14: Västilä 2 (18.94 km) 16:35 SS15: Päijälä 2 (20.19 km) 17:35 SS16: Ouninpohja 2 (32.98 km) Sunday 4 August 08:55 SS17: Sahloinen-Moksi 1 (14.27 km) 10:05 SS18: Laajavuori 1 (4.35 km) 11:17 SS19: Sahloinen-Moksi 2 (14.27 km) 13:15 SS20: Laajavuori 2 (8.77 km)
