The ninth round of the World Rally Championship will take place next week around Jyväskylä. Teams have already begun their preparations for the event with testing sessions.
From the WRC teams, Toyota and Hyundai began their test routines on Tuesday at their respective test areas. Among Hyundai’s stars, it was reigning champion Thierry Neuville who got up to speed first.
Neuville was fine-tuning the setup of his car on Hyundai’s test roads near Jämsä.
See photos from Neuville’s test below!
Neuville needs a top result from the fast gravel rally in Central Finland, as he is currently only fifth in the championship standings, a hefty 48 points behind the leader—his teammate Ott Tänak. Last year, Neuville finished second in Finland.
Watch the video of Neuville’s test day below!
If the embed above doesn’t appear, you can watch the video here.
At the same time, Elfyn Evans conducted his own pre-rally test at Toyota’s test area, which is now located in South Savo. The Welshman was seen pushing his rally car hard as he tuned the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 for the upcoming event.
Evans had been leading the championship since winter, but last weekend’s Rally Estonia saw Tänak overtake the Toyota driver by a single point. This means Evans will not have to start as the so-called road sweeper for the Finnish round.
Watch the video of Evans’ test day below!
If the embed above doesn’t appear, you can watch the video here.
Hyundai and Toyota will continue their tests throughout the week. There’s also action beyond the factory teams’ test zones, as several WRC2 drivers are testing their cars for the ultra-fast gravel rally.
Rally Finland begins on Thursday, 31 July.
