Toyota driver Sami Pajari triumphed at his home event in Finland, while his teammate Elfyn Evans successfully grew his World Rally Championship lead to 30 points. Despite rolling his car during the 14th stage, Evans and his co-driver Scott Martin recovered to finish in third place. The pair lost two minutes after sliding into a ditch, but were able to rejoin the race with assistance from fans, including Evans’ father Gwyndaf, before the Toyota mechanics finalized repairs.
Pajari claimed his second consecutive WRC victory following a win in Estonia. He inherited the lead after nine-time champion Sebastien Ogier crashed out on the penultimate stage. Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia were hospitalized as a safety precaution but reported they were feeling well. Oliver Solberg finished second to help secure a Toyota podium sweep, while Adrien Fourmaux and Thierry Neuville took fourth and fifth for Hyundai.
Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston recovered from a late crash into trees to finish sixth. Josh McErlean led the M-Sport Ford effort in seventh position. The championship moves to Paraguay for the 11th round of the season from August 27-30.
