Rally
Volkswagen’s Jari-Matti Latvala wins his home rally for the second time after final stage duel.
Rally Finland 2014 came right down to the wire, with local favourite Jari-Matti Latvala only securing victory in the Ruuhimäki Power Stage, the 26th and final test of the rally.
Going into the last stage, Latvala had led his Volkswagen team-mate Sébastien Ogier by just 3.7s, the Finn’s near-30 second lead going into Saturday afternoon’s stages having been ruined by brake problems after hitting a rock.
Ogier would go on to claim the Power Stage victory by just 0.1s, netting himself three bonus points. But as Latvala zig-zagged his Volkswagen Polo R after breaking the final timing line, there were ecstatic scenes as the Finnish fans celebrated their first home win since Latvala’s 2010 triumph for Ford.
Latvala’s victory means he closes up to Ogier in the drivers’ standings, with his 27-point haul in Finland giving him 143 points to Ogier’s 187.
Meeke takes third podium of the season
Behind the leading pair, Kris Meeke was the best of the rest in his Citroën DS3 WRC. The Northern Irishman has never made any secret of his love for the Finnish roads, telling the press at the end of SS1: “What an incredible place to drive a rally car.”
Andreas Mikkelsen ensured that all the Volkswagen Polo Rs were in the top four, finishing around a minute clear of the facelifted M-Sport Ford Fiesta RS of Mikko Hirvonen, with Mikkelsen’s main rival for fourth place, Mads Østberg, having been ruled out on Saturday afternoon with damage to the rollcage of his Citroën.
Finn Juho Hänninenwas Hyundai’s best scorer of the event, recovering from a roll to finish sixth in his i20, while M-Sport’s young Welsh driver Elfyn Evans was seventh.
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