Hyundai Leads the First Stage of the 2026 Secto Rally Finland

Hyundai started the Secto Rally Finland with the top two positions in the overall classification. Adrien Fourmaux and Thierry Neuville shared the honours in Thursday's opening session, an afternoon that had begun with Takamoto Katsuta at the front of the shakedown and ended with the top nine Rally1 cars covered by a margin of just over three seconds.

Photo By Red Bull Content Pool

The Ruuhimäki stage, 4.12 kilometres of gravel with the jumps that distinguish the Finnish event, served for Katsuta to show pace from the very first run. The Japanese driver improved his time on each pass, eventually setting the best time of 2:11.7, nine tenths ahead of Fourmaux and Oliver Solberg, who tied on 2:12.6. Elfyn Evans, the world championship leader, was 1.7 seconds behind his teammate, and Sami Pajari closed out the top five, two tenths behind the Welshman. Neuville, Jon Armstrong, Esapekka Lappi, Josh McErlean and Mārtiņš Sesks occupied the remaining positions among the top ten in a session that did not award points but did measure temperatures.

Photo By Red Bull Content Pool

The first official stage of the rally moved the action to the centre of Jyväskylä. The mixed layout of Harju, 2.58 kilometres of asphalt and gravel running through the heart of the city, reshuffled the order and left Fourmaux at the front. The Frenchman stopped the clock at 2:06.7, beating Neuville by 1.1 seconds and cutting three seconds off the time Lappi had set as the previous benchmark. Evans and Sébastien Ogier shared third place, 1.2 seconds behind the leader, a tie that shows how tight the start is and foreshadows a close fight in Friday's forest stages.

Katsuta, who had dominated the shakedown, finished fifth, 1.8 seconds behind the leader. Pajari was a tenth behind the Japanese driver in sixth, and Solberg closed out the Toyota group in seventh, 2.9 seconds off the pace. The Norwegian admitted that he did not have the best feeling on the mixed surface and that he made small mistakes that cost him time.

Photo By Red Bull Content Pool

Ogier had a particular day. Julien Ingrassia, the co‑driver with whom he won his first eight world titles, sat back in his right‑hand seat to replace Vincent Landais, who could not travel to Finland for personal reasons. Ogier said it was a relief to have him back, though he clarified that Landais remains present during the week with the team.

The dry weather of recent days adds an extra factor for Friday. Evans, who will open the road, warned that the lack of moisture could make his task of sweeping loose gravel heavier. Laukaa, Saarikas, Sydänmaa and Hoho make up the menu of four stages that will be run twice in two loops, a total of 127.94 timed kilometres that will force teams to find the right balance between risk and tyre conservation.

WRC Overall Thursday - Secto Rally Finland 2026

POS	#	driver/codriver	team	brand	car	time
1	16	Adrien FOURMAUX Alexandre CORIA	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Hyundai	I20 N Rally1	2:06.7
2	11	Thierry NEUVILLE Martijn WYDAEGHE	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Hyundai	I20 N Rally1	+ 01.1
3	33	Elfyn EVANS Scott MARTIN	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 01.2
4	1	Sébastien OGIER Julien INGRASSIA	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 01.2
5	18	Takamoto KATSUTA Aaron JOHNSTON	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 01.8
6	5	Sami PAJARI Marko SALMINEN	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt2	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 01.9
7	99	Oliver SOLBERG Elliott EDMONDSON	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 02.9
8	4	Esapekka LAPPI Enni MÄLKÖNEN	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Hyundai	I20 N Rally1	+ 03.0
9	95	Jon ARMSTRONG Shane BYRNE	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Puma Rally1	+ 03.3
10	55	Joshua MCERLEAN Eoin TREACY	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Puma Rally1	+ 04.1
11	22	Mārtinš SESKS Renārs FRANCIS	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Puma Rally1	+ 06.2
12	25	Robert VIRVES Jakko VIILO	Toksport Wrt	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 04.1
13	20	Roope KORHONEN Anssi VIINIKKA	Rautio Motorsport	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 04.5
14	21	Léo ROSSEL Guillaume MERCOIRET	2c Junior Team	Lancia	Ypsilon Hf	+ 04.7
15	28	Emil LINDHOLM Gabriel MORALES	Toksport Wrt	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 04.9
16	23	Nikolay GRYAZIN Konstantin ALEKSANDROV	Lancia Corse Hf	Lancia	Ypsilon Hf	+ 04.9
17	30	Yuki YAMAMOTO James FULTON	Printsport	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 05.4
18	40	Jari-Matti LATVALA Juho HÄNNINEN	Jml-sports Oy	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 05.5
19	24	Yohan ROSSEL Arnaud DUNAND	Lancia Corse Hf	Lancia	Ypsilon Hf	+ 05.6
20	42	Mikko HEIKKILÄ Kristian TEMONEN	Mikko Heikkilä	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 06.2
21	41	Jaspar VAHER Rait JANSEN	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt Ng	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 06.7
22	39	Romet JÜRGENSON Siim OJA	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Fiesta Mk Ii	+ 06.7
23	38	Giovanni TRENTIN Pietro Elia OMETTO	Mt Racing Srl	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 06.7
24	27	Fau ZALDIVAR Marcelo DER OHANNESIAN	Fau Zaldivar	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 06.7
25	36	Mattéo CHATILLON Maxence CORNUAU	Mattéo Chatillon	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 06.9
26	29	Gus GREENSMITH Jonas ANDERSSON	Gus Greensmith	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 07.1
27	43	Patrick ENOK Silver SIMM	Printsport	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 07.1
28	50	Conner MARTELL Alessandro GELSOMINO	2c Junior Team	Lancia	Ypsilon Hf	+ 07.1
29	44	Tuukka KAUPPINEN Sebastian VIRTANEN	Rautio Motorsport	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 07.5
30	32	Arthur PELAMOURGUES Bastien POUGET	Arthur Pelamourgues	Hyundai	I20 N	+ 07.6
31	45	Joosep Ralf NÕGENE Aleks LESK	Joosep Ralf Nõgene	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 08.5
32	31	Lauri JOONA Antti LINNAKETO	Lauri Joona	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 08.6
33	37	Pablo SARRAZIN Yannick ROCHE	Pablo Sarrazin	Lancia	Ypsilon Hf	+ 08.7
34	26	Teemu SUNINEN Janni HUSSI	Teemu Suninen	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 09.0
35	48	Martin PROKOP Michal ERNST	Martin Prokop	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 09.8
36	34	Taylor GILL Daniel BRKIC	Taylor Gill	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 09.9
37	35	Mille JOHANSSON Johan GRÖNVALL	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Fiesta Mk Ii	+ 10.0
38	46	Takumi MATSUSHITA Pekka KELANDER	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt Ng	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 11.8
39	47	Shotaro GOTO Jussi LINDBERG	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt Ng	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 12.7
40	49	Eliott DELECOUR Alexis MAILLEFERT	Eliott Delecour	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 12.7
41	51	Adrien MOSCA Julie AMBLARD	Printsport	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 13.4
42	52	Ugur SOYLU Mehmet YALÇIN	Gp Garage My Team	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 13.9
43	70	Olli LAHTI Laura SUVANTO	Olli Lahti	Skoda	Fabia	+ 16.6
44	53	Johannes KEFERBÖCK Ilka MINOR	Johannes Keferböck	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 18.3
45	59	Rio OGATA Mikael KORHONEN	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt Ng	Renault	Clio Rally3	+ 13.3
46	54	Matteo FONTANA Alessandro ARNABOLDI	Matteo Fontana	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 14.7
47	60	Kanta YANAGUIDA Ville MANNISENMÄKI	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt Ng	Renault	Clio Rally3	+ 14.9
48	65	Ali TÜRKKAN Bilge AYAN	Castrol Ford Team Türkiye	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 15.2
49	56	Tymek ABRAMOWSKI Jakub WRÓBEL	Tymek Abramowski	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 16.0
50	58	Jarkko NIKARA Tomiya MAEKAWA	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt Ng	Renault	Clio Rally3	+ 17.0
51	64	Calle CARLBERG Jørgen ERIKSEN	Calle Carlberg	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 17.4
52	67	Leevi LASSILA Mikko LUKKA	Leevi Lassila	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 17.5
53	66	Gil MEMBRADO Adrián PÉREZ	Gil Membrado	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 19.0
54	68	Craig RAHILL Conor SMITH	Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 19.2
55	57	Nataniel BRUUN Pablo OLMOS	Nataniel Bruun	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 19.4
56	61	Ville PYNNÖNEN Niklas HEINO	Ville Pynnönen	Renault	Clio Rally3	+ 20.0
57	62	Riku TAHKO Markus SOININEN	Riku Tahko	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 20.4
58	69	Kerem KAZAZ Corentin SILVESTRE	Team Petrol Ofisi	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 20.4
59	71	Tuomas VIREN Jussi LAINE	Tuomas Viren	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 27.1
60	63	Ismo LEIKOLA Tuomo HANNONEN	Tuomo Hannonen	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 30.1
61	72	Roope HIRVONEN Aleksi MARTTILA	Roope Hirvonen	Peugeot	208	+ 35.7