2025 rally finland 01
Hyundai Eyes Finland Podium After Estonia Boost
Rally Finland does not do subtlety. It is the sort of event where drivers are expected to commit fully, trust the notes, and hope the forest stays where it is supposed to. This week, that means 20 high-speed gravel stages, 316.04km of competitive distance, and one very stern test for Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team.
The team arrives in Jyväskylä with a bit of swagger after Rally Estonia, where Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria claimed a second podium of the season and Hyundai Motorsport banked its 150th podium in the FIA World Rally Championship. Not bad for a week’s work. The question now is whether that pace on fast gravel can be turned into something equally shiny in Finland.
Finland is one of those rallies that looks beautiful in photos and terrifying in reality. The stages are quick, flowing and packed with crests and jumps, which means there is very little room for hesitation and absolutely no room for a heroic guess. One mistimed landing and the day can unravel in a hurry. The 2026 route starts with Thursday evening’s Harju super special before three full days in the forests of Central Finland.
Hyundai will field Thierry Neuville, Fourmaux and home favourite Esapekka Lappi in the third Hyundai i20 N Rally1. Lappi returns to the event where he scored his maiden WRC victory in 2017, so he at least knows which way the road bends when the trees start becoming a blur. The team also has a useful road position, starting sixth, seventh and eighth, which should help on the high-speed stages.
The main nuisance, as ever in rallying, is weather. If it rains, the advantage can swing around like a loose wheel nut. Wet stages can favour earlier runners, while repeated rain can break up the road and drag bigger stones to the surface. On a rally this fast, that is how punctures happen, usually with infuriating timing.
Even so, the mood inside Hyundai is upbeat. The car looked competitive in Estonia, the engineering work seems to be paying off, and Finland suits brave, tidy driving more than theatrical flourishes. In other words, exactly the sort of place where a car that behaves well can make life miserable for everyone else.
Neuville says the similarities with Estonia are useful, though Finland brings more crests, more blind corners and a surface with higher grip that can feel almost tarmac-like in places. His aim is simple enough: stay in the fight from the first stage and avoid the sort of weekend that ends with everyone discussing what might have been.
Fourmaux is similarly bullish after his Estonia podium, pointing out that Finland is not only about flat-out speed but also about landing the car properly over the jumps so the next corner does not arrive in a mood. Lappi, meanwhile, is keen to improve on last year and reckons the new stages give everyone a slightly cleaner sheet of paper. Which in rally terms usually means chaos, just with fresher dust.
For Hyundai, the target is straightforward: build on Estonia, score heavily, and see if the pace can survive a rally that has embarrassed far better plans than theirs. If the car is quick, the weather behaves, and the drivers keep their nerve, Finland could be very interesting indeed.
Zachary Skinner is the editor of TechDrivePlay.com, where tech, cars and adventure share the fast lane.
A former snowboarding pro and programmer, he brings both creative flair and technical know-how to his reviews. From high-performance cars to clever gadgets, he explores how innovation shapes the way we move, connect and live.
