Double world champion Kalle Rovanpera made a solid start to his bid for a first home WRC win in Finland as the Toyota driver ended Friday’s opening leg 4.9 seconds clear of Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville.
A mere 15.7 seconds separated the top five, with Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux third and 2.8 seconds adrift of his Belgian teammate after 10 of the gravel stages through the Finnish forests.
Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta was fourth and Finnish teammate Sami Pajari fifth.
Rovanpera had not led a gravel rally this season before Friday but he hit the front after the second stage and was fastest in three of the day’s nine stages.
“It was a nice day, but not easy by any means. I am not really in my comfort zone at the moment, but we are pushing hard,” he said.
Both Rovanpera and reigning world champion Neuville agreed the stages had been too fast for comfort.
“All flat-out and just taking risks – not at all what I like,” said the Hyundai driver.
Hyundai’s championship leader Ott Tanak hit a tree on the seventh stage and was 10th. Toyota title rival Elfyn Evans, who is a single point behind, was seventh with teammate Sebastien Ogier in sixth.
