Rally Finland - Characteristics

Characteristics

Rally Finland is known for its smooth and wide gravel roads, numerous big jumps (or yumps) and blind crests. It is the highest-speed rally in the World Rally Championship; of the six fastest-ever WRC rallies by average speed, five are editions of the Rally Finland. As a result, it has become known as the "Grand Prix of rallying", "Finnish Grand Prix" and "Gravel Grand Prix". The high number of jumps led to the nickname "The Rally of the Thousand Jumps". Formula One world champion Kimi Räikkönen said that " is probably the closest to asphalt driving as you can get on gravel." According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the roads are considered the best in the world championship. As the high-speed corners are often surrounded by trees, carefully crafted pacenotes and correct racing lines are necessary to survive the event; small errors easily lead to big crashes.

Although Rally Finland has traditionally been a difficult event for non-Nordic competitors, it is popular among drivers as well as fans. The rally attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators each year, and only Monte Carlo Rally and Wales Rally GB have ever attracted more starters. Along with the Wales Rally GB, it is the only event to have featured in all but one WRC season. The WRC teams voted Rally Finland the "Rally of the Year" in 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2004. The official website of the World Rally Championship lists the event as one of the "undoubted highlights" of a season.

The most famous competitive section of the rally is Ouninpohja. Well known for its high-speed jumps and sweeping corners, it ranks among the most prestigious special stages in the world. At one jump located 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) from the start line, close to a landmark yellow house, spectators measure the length of the jumps and mark the distance by the roadside. In 2003, Markko Märtin set the record for the longest jump, travelling 57 meters (187 ft) in the air at a speed of 171 kilometres per hour (106 mph).

The Ouninpohja stage was split into two parts for the 2005 and 2006 events, as Petter Solberg had exceeded the FIA's maximum average speed (130 km/h) in 2004. The rule was changed for 2007 and Ouninpohja returned as a 33 km (21 mi) version, although the organisers added three chicanes. However, the stage was left out of the route in 2008. Jarmo Mahonen, managing director of AKK Sports, stated that "the matter was discussed with the FIA already last year, and at the time we were able to keep Ouninpohja as a part of our route. This year we have to leave it out for safety reasons." In 2012 the Ouninpohja stage is back and is also served as the power stage.