Adrien Fourmaux Leads Harju SS1 at WRC Finland 2026

Adrien Fourmaux opened WRC Finland 2026 with the fastest time on Harju SS1, leading a one-two for Hyundai Motorsport on the opening super special stage in Jyvaskyla.

Fourmaux finished 1.1 seconds ahead of team-mate Thierry Neuville after completing the short Harju test without giving away significant time. The Frenchman stressed the importance of maximising the opener, with gaps on the longer forest stages expected to remain extremely small.

“I really tried to do everything as well as possible. I remember from last year that the gaps on the long forest stages were very small. We didn’t want to lose time on a short stage like this,” Fourmaux said.

Baca JugaSebastien Ogier Rebut Pimpinan usai SS2 di WRC Finland 2026

Toyota still placed several cars close to the front, with Elfyn Evans and Sebastien Ogier setting identical times behind the two Hyundais. Rally Estonia winner Sami Pajari began the event in sixth and described the Harju surface as particularly slippery.

“This is quite a difficult stage. I tried to set a good time. At least we’ve improved and we’re ready for tomorrow. It was really slippery. The rally really starts tomorrow,” Pajari said.

The opening result gives Hyundai an encouraging early position, but Harju SS1 offers only a limited indication of the true competitive order. Friday’s longer and faster forest stages will provide a much clearer measure of the performance balance between Hyundai and Toyota.

WRC Finland 2026 continues on Friday with eight full-length forest stages before the crews return to Harju for SS10 at the end of the day, when the overall fight is expected to take clearer shape.