On the second run through the Ruuhimäki stage on Friday, Rovanperä kept things tidy and matched his teammate Sébastien Ogier’s time exactly. However, the stage win went to Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, who was 1.1 seconds faster than both Toyota drivers.
“So far a good approach and a good day for us,” Neuville summarised.
Rovanperä, meanwhile, still didn’t warm to the Ruuhimäki stage.
“It’s nice to be fighting at least for the right positions. This one I still don’t like, it’s not my stage. I just don’t enjoy it,” Rovanperä commented.
The world champion also had a pointed message for the crowd.
“To the fans at Harju — maybe try to make a bit more noise,” he suggested with a smile.
Sami Pajari also showed strong pace, going fourth fastest and missing the stage win by just 1.3 seconds. The young Finn has delivered a solid day overall.
In contrast, Hyundai’s Ott Tänak has been the biggest disappointment of the rally so far. Tipped by many to win in Finland, the Estonian has fallen well short of expectations. He dropped five seconds to Neuville on the second run through Ruuhimäki and once again showed his frustration.
“I need to go,” Tänak snapped at a WRC interviewer, cutting the conversation short.
Rovanperä maintains his lead in the overall classification, now 5.4 seconds ahead of Neuville. Adrien Fourmaux remains third, 8.5 seconds off the lead. Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta holds fourth, trailing Fourmaux by just 0.1 seconds before the Harju stage.
Sami Pajari is fifth overall, 12.5 seconds behind Rovanperä. Sébastien Ogier is sixth, Elfyn Evans seventh, and Ott Tänak down in tenth – giving him the second-worst starting position for Saturday.
The final stage of the day is the Harju spectator stage. The rally concludes on Sunday.
Rally Finland standings after SS9/20
| POS | Driver | Car | Time |
| 1. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | 54:22.5 |
| 2. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +5.4 |
| 3. | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai | +8.5 |
| 4. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | +8.6 |
| 5. | Sami Pajari | Toyota | +12.5 |
| 6. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | +17.9 |
| 7. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +25.3 |
| 8. | Martins Sesks | Ford | +37.5 |
| 9. | Josh McErlean | Ford | +1:04.3 |
| 10. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | +1:07.4 |
| 11. | Gregoire Munster | Ford | +1:18.0 |
Rally Finland itinerary (CET):
Thursday, 31 July
08.01 Shakedown: Ruuhimäki (4.12 km)
18.05 SS1: Harju 1 (2.58 km)
Friday, 1 August
07.03 SS2: Laukaa 1 (17.96 km)
08.03 SS3: Saarikas 1 (15.78 km)
09.23 SS4: Myhinpää 1 (14.47 km)
10.51 SS5: Ruuhimäki 1 (7.76 km)
12.01 Service (40 min)
13.44 SS6: Laukaa 2 (17.96 km)
14.44 SS7: Saarikas 2 (15.78 km)
16.04 SS8: Myhinpää 2 (14.47 km)
17.35 SS9: Ruuhimäki 2 (7.76 km)
18.30 SS10: Harju 2 (2.58 km)
Saturday, 2 August
07.01 SS11: Parkkola 1 (15.51 km)
08.42 SS12: Västilä 1 (18.94 km)
09.36 SS13: Päijälä 1 (20.19 km)
11.05 SS14: Leustu 1 (16.44 km)
12.35 Service (40 min)
14.01 SS15: Parkkola 2 (15.51 km)
15.42 SS16: Västilä 2 (18.94 km)
16.36 SS17: Päijälä 2 (20.19 km)
18.05 SS18: Leustu 2 (16.44 km)
Sunday, 3 August
09.35 SS19: Ouninpohja 1 (23.98 km)
12.15 SS20: Ouninpohja 2 (23.98 km) *Power Stage
