2026 WRC Rally Finland · Data review
2026-8-2, WRC Rally Finland concluded in Jyväskylä. Sami Pajari recorded 2h 27m 58.0s to win by 26.7 seconds over teammate Oliver Solberg. After his maiden victory in Estonia two weeks earlier, he took his second consecutive win. It was also Finnish drivers’ 200th WRC round victory, coinciding with Rally Finland’s 75th anniversary.
Overall results · Top three
Event highlights
The lead changes on Saturday: Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia led from Friday’s first forest stage until crashing out on Saturday’s SS17. Pajari then took over, entering the final day 46.4 seconds ahead and managing risk on Sunday’s two passes of Himos-Jämsa. His advantage fell from 46.4 to 26.7 seconds, a reduction of 19.7 seconds, but the lead did not change hands again.
Two Sunday results calculated separately: Solberg suffered back pain after a heavy landing on the first pass but still topped Super Sunday overall. Elfyn Evans won the final Power Stage, just 0.025 seconds faster than Solberg. Sunday’s aggregate stage result and the fastest time on the single bonus stage determined separate additional points.
Repairs rescue a podium: Evans was second when he rolled on Saturday morning. The mechanics repaired the car at midday service, and he returned to the top three that afternoon, ultimately finishing 1m 19.5s behind the winner. Evans led the championship after the rally on 201 points to Pajari’s 171, a gap of 30. Ogier and Ingrassia were discharged on Sunday after hospital observation.
Event facts at a glance
Finland’s fast forest roads and blind jumps emphasise pace notes, lines and landing attitude. Rain in 2026 amplified differences in conditions between starting times. Pajari won six stages across the event, while his eventual victory also depended on managing his lead on Sunday.
Information updated: 2026-10-3