Just as it did on Thursday, the second leg of the Rally Finland drew to a close with the short, 2.06-kilometre Killeri special stage. And once again, everything went to plan for Sbastien Ogier in the #8 Polo R WRC. The Frenchman rounded off an outstanding Friday with his sixth special stage win in a row. The World Championship leader was unbeatable on seven of todays nine special stages. The Frenchman extended his overall lead over Ford drivers Thierry Neuville (+38.1 seconds) and Mads stberg (+39.0 seconds). Fourth-placed Mikko Hirvonen (Citron) is now more than one minute back.Jari-Matti Latvala in the #7 Polo R WRC also produced an impressive display at the end of the second leg, finishing third for the second special stage in a row. A damaged car prevented Andreas Mikkelsen in the #9 Polo R WRC from taking part in Fridays final stage. The Norwegian will line up for Saturdays third leg under the Rally2 regulation.
Statements from the Volkswagen team.
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7 I am happy with the way day two of our home rally panned out. We started under Rally 2 regulations, meaning we were the first car out onto the route. This morning, when the road was still wet after the rain, this was certainly a small advantage, as the grip level was a bit higher. On the second loop, the opposite was true. The many ruts and various tracks left by smaller rally cars did not make driving any easier for us. However, we achieved the goal we had set ourselves for the day: to arrive safely at the finish. We also tried out a few modifications to the set-up of the Polo, which could help us with regard to the forthcoming rallies.
Sbastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8More than 30 seconds is really a good lead over the second-placed driver, but the rally still has a long way to go. This is particularly true as the legendary Ouninpohja special stage still awaits us twice tomorrowfor me the absolute highlight of this weekend. I can hardly wait to finally drive here in a World Rally Car. Today was great for us. We put our foot down, but did not push ourselves right to the very limit. The roads were very rough and difficult, particularly in the afternoon. The risk of getting a puncture was simply too great for an unconditional attack. Picking up points towards the World Championship are obviously the top priority, but I want to try to fulfil my dream of winning the Rally Finland for the first time.
Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9A day of highs, but unfortunately also lows for me. I still have a lot to learn in the World Rally Championship, but particularly at the Rally Finland. I was driving most of todays stages for the first time in a World Rally Car. Our plan was to master them as quickly as possible and with as little risk as possible. And it nearly worked. I tried to use the experience we gained in the morning on the afternoons second loop. For this reason, I particularly enjoyed the 13th special stage, Mkkiper. Braking points, gear changes and corner entries were just as I had imagined. Up until then everything was running almost perfectly. Unfortunately a damaged suspension put an end to all that on the next stage. It is a shame, as I had my sights set on a top-five result. However, the team will have the Polo excellently prepared for tomorrow and I will start again under Rally 2 regulations. That is important in order to gain more valuable information.
