PERFECT FIVE-STAR FINISH AT HOME FOR TOYOTA GAZOO RACING

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team is celebrating a perfect result on home roads at Rally Finland after local hero Kalle Rovanperä led a historic top-five lockout for the GR YARIS Rally1.

Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen secured a long-awaited first win on their home event with a superb attacking drive. Holding the lead of this year’s edition since the first forest stage on Friday morning, Rovanperä enjoyed improved feeling and speed compared to previous gravel rallies with this year’s car and tyre package.

He carried a lead of 36.1 seconds into the final day’s two runs over the legendary Ouninpohja test, and went quickest on the second pass to take his 10th stage win of the weekend, as well as top the Power Stage and Super Sunday classifications for a full haul of 35 points.

Takamoto Katsuta finished second overall with co-driver Aaron Johnston, claiming his second podium from the last three editions in Finland. He was second quickest on the Power Stage to secure his overall position by 5.9s ahead of last year’s winners Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais.

Ending up fourth in Super Sunday and fifth in the Power Stage, Evans moves back into the lead of the driver’s championship. With its eighth win from nine rallies this season, TGR-WRT increases its manufacturers’ championship lead to 87 points.

Sami Pajari completed the perfect result in fifth overall with one of his strongest Rally1 drives to-date at his home event, claiming three stage wins along the way together with co-driver Marko Salminen.

It is only the second time a manufacturer has locked out the top five places at the end of a WRC round, and the first time since Lancia did so in Portugal in 1990.

The next WRC will visit Paraguay for the first time on August 28-31 for the first of two consecutive events on South American gravel, with Rally Chile to follow a fortnight later.