WRC leader Neuville aims for three in a row in Finland

July 24, 2018 0 Comments

Following back-to-back wins in Portugal and Sardinia, Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul begin the second half of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship in Finland this weekend leading the series, and whilst they’ll start first on the road in Jyväskylä, they’re aiming to extend their advantage in their Hyundai Motorsport i20 Coupe WRC.

Rally Finland is renowned for being the fastest event on the calendar, boasting the accolade of hosting 11 of the 12 fastest WRC rallies in history. The 23-stage rally flows past the scenic forests and lakes of central Finland as crews tackle high speeds and numerous jumps in the final of four consecutive gravel events.

For 2018, much of the route has been revamped with more than half of the stages differing from last year’s event, and two stages being run in reverse. The event is one of the toughest for co-drivers, who need to ensure their pace notes are concise, precise, and delivered to perfection.

After a mid-season summer break, Neuville arrives in Finland with a 27-point lead at the top of the drivers’ standings over Sébastien Ogier, while Hyundai leads the manufacturers’ championship by 28 points.

“Sardinia was an incredible weekend, we couldn’t have hoped for a better result heading into the summer break,” said Neuville. “Now I’m ready to carry the momentum forward into the second half of the season. Finland is one of those rallies that everyone looks forward to. It’s going to be tricky this year coming into it after the extended break and jumping straight in the car. For the second event in a row, we’ll be first on the road and won’t have the advantage of the sweeping effect to begin with. It will be tough as the speed is very high – but I can’t wait for the challenge.”

Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul wear Stilo WRC DES Zero 8860 helmets.