Reported
Neuville suggests Rally Finland was excessively fast
Thierry Neuville claims the 2026 Rally Finland was "too fast," citing high average speeds and numerous accidents during the event.
Thierry Neuville believes the recent Rally Finland, which presented an unusual number of significant accidents, was excessively fast. The Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team driver suggested the event’s average speeds were too high for safe competition on the Finnish gravel stages.
High Speeds and Increased Incidents
Neuville, a 2024 world champion, observed that the rally’s average speed of 128.2 km/h made it the second-fastest in World Rally Championship history, falling just short of the existing record. He had previously anticipated this year’s route, which featured 66% new stages compared to the preceding year and lacked virtual chicanes, could become the fastest ever, a prediction that might have materialized without Friday’s rain impacting conditions. Neuville himself experienced issues during the event, damaging his front-left suspension on stage five after running wide, although his incident was minor when compared to the numerous others.
Several prominent Rally1 competitors, including Sébastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans, Mārtiņš Sesks, and Esapekka Lappi, were involved in rollovers during the rally. Neuville specifically commented on the extreme pace, noting sections with average speeds around 145-147 km/h, which he found excessive, particularly given the straightforward nature of many roads. He concluded that Rally Finland, known for its ultra-fast gravel, should be considerably slower, identifying this edition as the fastest he had ever contested, as reported by Motorsport.com.
Driver Reactions and Differing Perspectives
While Neuville was explicit about his concerns regarding the speeds, some of his rivals did not share his perspective. Elfyn Evans, the current championship leader for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, indicated that implementing chicanes would not fundamentally alter the competitive dynamic. Evans further suggested that the high number of crashes stemmed from drivers continually pushing the limits, which he considers an inherent aspect of contemporary motorsport. He explained that although the Rally1 cars do not slide extensively, creating a false impression of lower speeds, drivers are indeed traveling at very high velocities. Evans emphasized that margins for error are extremely small, necessitating precise control given the remarkable capabilities of the cars, according to Motorsport.com.
Adrien Fourmaux, Evans’s teammate, jokingly responded to Neuville’s comments by suggesting that a rally becomes “too fast” when a driver gets “too old.” However, Fourmaux also conceded that some elements of the rally’s design could contribute to the intensity of the competition. The varying opinions among drivers highlight an ongoing discussion regarding the balance between speed, excitement, and safety within the World Rally Championship, particularly during events like Rally Finland, where local Finn Esapekka Lappi was one of those who unfortunately rolled his car, adding to the list of incidents during the exceptionally fast weekend.
Status And Sources
This story is labelled Reported, which means a newsroom we cite carries this but the people involved have not confirmed it. The rules behind those labels are in the editorial policy, and the desk that published it is Sanni Koskela.
Written from the following reporting. Each link goes to the newsroom's own page, not to an aggregator:
- Motorsport.commotorsport.com
