RALLY FINLAND 2026: TOYOTA GAZOO RACING ARRIVES WITH FIVE HOME-BASED CONTENDERS

Finnish driver Sami Pajari competing for TGR-WRT after his Rally Estonia victory.

TGR-WRT RETURNS TO ITS JYVÄSKYLÄ HOME FOR THE FASTEST WRC ROUND WITH CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER ELFYN EVANS AND RECENT RALLY ESTONIA WINNER SAMI PAJARI

Toyota GAZOO Racing World Rally Team will contest its home event with five FIA World Rally Championship contenders when Rally Finland 2026 takes place from July 30 to August 2.

Based around Jyväskylä, the fastest rally on the WRC calendar is known for its smooth gravel roads, high-speed sections and spectacular jumps. The event is also a home round for TGR-WRT, whose headquarters are located just three kilometres from the Rally Finland service park.

TGR-WRT has won seven of the eight editions it has contested, including a historic top-five sweep last year led by hometown driver Kalle Rovanperä.

Key Points:

• Rally Finland 2026 is the tenth round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

• The event takes place from July 30 to August 2.

• TGR-WRT will enter five WRC contenders on its home roads.

• Sami Pajari arrives after winning Rally Estonia.

• All five TGR-WRT drivers have won at least one rally this season.

• The five drivers occupy the top five positions in the championship standings.

• Elfyn Evans leads the championship by 25 points.

• Takamoto Katsuta has twice finished on the Rally Finland podium.

• Sébastien Ogier is a two-time Rally Finland winner.

• The rally features 20 stages and a new-look 30.02-kilometre Himos-Jämsa stage.

• A total of 13 GR Yaris Rally2 cars are on the entry list.

• Team Principal Jari-Matti Latvala will compete in a GR Yaris Rally2.

FIVE TGR-WRT DRIVERS FILL THE TOP FIVE

The 2026 FIA World Rally Championship standings arrive in Finland with all five TGR-WRT drivers occupying the top five positions, separated by 47 points with five rounds remaining.

Elfyn Evans leads the championship by 25 points. The Welshman is a two-time Rally Finland winner, having secured victories with TGR-WRT in 2021 and 2023.

Takamoto Katsuta is Evans’ closest challenger. The Japanese driver developed his rally career through the TGR WRC Challenge Program in Jyväskylä and has finished on the Rally Finland podium twice.

Sami Pajari enters the event in third place after his Rally Estonia victory. The result made him the 17th Finnish driver to win a WRC round. Sébastien Ogier, a nine-time world champion and two-time Rally Finland winner, is fourth, while Oliver Solberg follows in fifth after finishing second in Estonia.

PAJARI RETURNS TO FINLAND AFTER ESTONIA BREAKTHROUGH

Pajari will compete on home roads after securing his first WRC victory at Rally Estonia on similarly fast gravel roads.

The Finn finished fourth on his GR YARIS Rally1 debut at Rally Finland in 2024 and fifth last year. His victory in Estonia adds further momentum to his return to the Finnish forests.

LATVALA AND 13 GR YARIS RALLY2 CARS

TGR-WRT Team Principal Jari-Matti Latvala will once again compete in his home rally, driving a GR Yaris Rally2 alongside co-driver Juho Hänninen.

The Rally Finland entry list includes 13 GR Yaris Rally2 cars. WRC2 championship leader Roope Korhonen and Teemu Suninen are among the customer drivers competing in the category, while Gus Greensmith, Taylor Gill, Tuukka Kauppinen, Joosep Ralf Nõgene, Adrien Mosca and Johannes Keferböck are also listed.

The TGR WRC Challenge Program will also be represented across WRC2 and WRC3, with several drivers connected to the Jyväskylä-based programme competing during the event.

RALLY FINLAND 2026 ROUTE

The 75th anniversary edition of Rally Finland begins Thursday evening with the traditional mixed-surface Harju stage in Jyväskylä.

Friday includes the Laukaa, Saarikas, Sydänmaa and Hoho stages, while Saturday features Parkkola, Västilä, Päijälä and Leustu.

Sunday’s finale includes two runs of the new-look Himos-Jämsa stage, which is the longest test of the rally at 30.02 kilometres.

Quotes:

Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)

“It was fantastic to see Sami score his first win in Estonia and it’s been wonderful to watch his growth this season. It’s also remarkable that all five of our drivers have now won rallies this season, and they all still have chances in the championship. They’re also all capable of winning Rally Finland, our team’s home event, and I think we can expect a tight fight. Elfyn and Seb have won the rally multiple times, while Taka has been on the podium twice. Oliver had a great rally in Estonia, building back his confidence, while Sami has now proven he can win and the excitement will be high for him in Finland. Meanwhile, I’m grateful to have the opportunity – with thanks to Akio Toyoda – to drive my home rally once more in what should be a big battle in WRC2, where the level is also really high.”

Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin

Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)

“Rally Finland is one of my favourite events on the calendar. It’s an amazing sensation to drive these Rally1 cars on those roads, and in terms of pure driving thrills, nothing else beats it during the season. You need to be able to find a good rhythm and a good feeling with the car to be competitive, but when everything’s working well, it can give you great confidence and enjoyment behind the wheel. I’m looking forward to it as always and hoping for some conditions that are more in our favour and enable us to be in the fight from the start of the weekend.”

Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais

Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 1)

“Finland is one of the homes of rallying and one of the most enjoyable rallies to drive. It’s also one of the most challenging to win, especially against fast drivers from the north of Europe, and it’s a big honour to have been able to achieve that a couple of times in my career. Rally Estonia was not easy for us driving on those roads for the first time after five years away, but at Rally Finland we will have a higher target in mind as I’ve been there the last two years and been competitive, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Oliver Solberg / Elliott Edmondson

Oliver Solberg (Driver car 99)

“Rally Finland is something very special. It’s a rally that every driver wants to win at some point in their career because it’s such a unique challenge. The way that the stages flow, with the speed and the crests and the jumps, feels amazing. I’ve had some good rallies there in the past in Rally2 cars, but I’m sure that my first Rally Finland driving for TGR-WRT as the home team, in such a great car in such a fast rally, will be my most special experience there yet. After a good, consistent rally in Estonia, it would be great if we can finish on the podium again.”

Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston

Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)

“Rally Finland is like a second home rally for me. I moved to Finland when I started rallying and learned pretty much everything I know there, and I still have many friends in Jyväskylä. I have many great memories from the rally – I made my WRC debut there 10 years ago – and to finish second to Kalle last year was very special for me. I was very happy that he could win, but I hope I can go one better. It’s a very demanding rally: you have to be fully committed straight away, and you need full trust in your pacenotes and the car. But I have a good feeling and will try my best.”

Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen

Sami Pajari (Driver car 5)

“To win Rally Estonia was amazing, and a feeling that is still sinking in. There was not much time to celebrate or relax, as two days after the rally we were already testing for Rally Finland. Like Estonia, this is one of my favourite rallies, but it’s even more special to be able to compete at home in front of all my family and friends and a lot of fans cheering for us. The stages are beautiful and I really enjoy driving them. Many will be expecting that we can win again; we can’t underestimate the competition, but we of course hope that we can make it happen. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Yuki Yamamoto (Driver WRC Challenge Program GEN2)

“I’m looking forward to this Rally Finland. It’s always a special rally for me as my second home rally. I’ve been living in Jyväskylä for five years, so the atmosphere feels very familiar, and the roads are the most beautiful in the calendar. I had a bit of a disappointing rally in Estonia, so I really want to bounce back in Finland. Last year, it was a really good rally and a real turning point for me, so I hope to have the same good feeling and keep that strong pace through the whole weekend to fight against top drivers.”