Rovanpera Dominates: A Nail-Biting Finnish Rally Homecoming

Double world rally champion Kalle Rovanpera is on the verge of his first home victory in Finland, as his unstoppable Toyota team closes the penultimate leg with their cars occupying the top five positions.

Rovanpera extended his lead from 4.9 seconds to a commanding 36.1 seconds over teammate Takamoto Katsuta. Eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans, and Sami Pajari follow in third, fourth, and fifth places respectively.

Britain's Evans is poised to assume the championship lead after Hyundai's Ott Tanak incurred a five-minute penalty, pushing him down to 14th. Hyundai's struggles continued as reigning champion Thierry Neuville and teammate Adrien Fourmaux suffered punctures, demoting them to sixth and seventh places. Neuville conceded that any hopes for the championship were lost, emphasizing the need to secure as many points as possible.

(With inputs from agencies.)