Rally Finland is the premier event of the World Rally Championship and the Ford WRT drivers Jari-Matti Latvala and Petter Solberg are fully aware of driving flat-out over the spectacular stages which features numerous big jumps.
“This is a sprint in the truest sense,” said 27-year-old Latvala. “The pace is such that time differences are small and if you make a mistake there’s no opportunity to regain the seconds lost.
“Every error is magnified. Pre-event testing is more important here than elsewhere because you must start the rally 100 per cent happy with the car set-up and feeling.”
Such is the pace in the country regarded as rallying’s spiritual home, that after 500 WRC rounds since the series started in 1973, eight of the 10 fastest rallies have been in Finland. It also has many of the drivers’ favourite stages in the WRC including Ouninpohja.
“It’s an amazing feeling to complete that stage knowing you have driven as well as you could,” said Solberg.
“Relief, happiness, confidence – they’re all feelings you experience when you have mastered Ouninpohja. Without doubt, it’s the best stage in the entire championship.”
The 1.6-litre turbocharged engine that powers the rally cars draws on the knowledge of Ford’s advanced EcoBoost technology, which provides increased fuel efficiency and decreased emissions on its latest production vehicles. The livery will also feature on cars in other disciplines, including the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series and the Chinese Touring Car Championship.
In Australia Ford supported V8 teams will carry EcoBoost on the windscreen banners.
