Sebastien Ogier was forced out of WRC Finland 2026 after crashing on SS17 Västilä 2 while on course for the fastest time according to the intermediate splits.
Ogier went off the road near the end of the special stage and his Toyota rolled several times. The stage was stopped immediately and an ambulance was sent to the scene as a safety precaution.
Toyota later confirmed that Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia were able to exit the car without assistance. Both were conscious and generally in good condition, but were transported to hospital for further medical checks.
Following the incident, SS17 was cancelled for the crews that had not yet completed the stage and was subsequently run as a road section. Sami Pajari was classified fastest, repeating his result from the morning pass through Västilä, while Elfyn Evans finished just 0.1 seconds slower.
“It was a fantastic stage and really enjoyable, but we just made sure we got through safely,” Pajari said. The result became particularly significant because Ogier had been leading the rally, meaning the Frenchman’s retirement immediately reshaped the fight for victory.
Elfyn Evans also completed the stage with a controlled approach. His time was not enough to move ahead of Adrien Fourmaux overall, with the pair now level on identical times in the battle for third.
One special stage remains on Saturday before WRC Finland 2026 enters its final day on Sunday. With Ogier no longer in contention, attention now shifts to Pajari, Oliver Solberg, Fourmaux and Evans ahead of the decisive final stages.
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Sami Pajari leads WRC Finland 2026 after Sebastien Ogier's crash and takes a 46.4-second advantage into Sunday's final two stages.
Sami Pajari strengthened his WRC Finland 2026 lead after SS18 Leustu and will take a 46.4-second advantage into Sunday's final two stages.
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