Teemu Suninen and Janni Hussi have lost the WRC2 lead at WRC Finland 2026 after the stewards handed them a 30-second time penalty for failing to stop at the scene of Patrick Enok's incident on SS11 Parkkola 1.
The decision dealt a major blow to Suninen and Hussi, who had been firmly on course to claim victory in the WRC2 category. The penalty dropped them from first to second with only one special stage remaining on Sunday.
The stewards' decision stated that Enok's car crashed approximately 3.30 kilometres into SS11 on Saturday morning. Suninen's car was the first competing entry to reach the scene, but the crew did not stop to provide assistance.
Suninen explained to the stewards that a green light and an OK message had appeared on the in-car display, prompting the crew to continue after initially slowing down. Suninen and Hussi also saw two people near the scene in addition to spectators and assumed they were Enok and co-driver Silver Simm.
However, the stewards stressed that FIA safety procedures require a following crew to stop and assist when an SOS signal is displayed. If neither member of the crashed crew is visibly giving a physical OK signal at the scene, the next competing crew must also stop.
As a consequence of the penalty, Robert Virves moved into the WRC2 lead and now holds an advantage of more than 20 seconds over Suninen heading into the final stage. Virves is on course for a fourth consecutive WRC2 victory.
Jari-Matti Latvala remains the fastest Rally2 driver outright and sits 20.3 seconds ahead of Virves. However, Latvala is not registered to score WRC2 points in Finland, meaning his position does not prevent Virves from potentially taking the category victory and maximum points.
With only the Power Stage remaining, the 30-second penalty has dramatically changed the WRC2 battle and leaves Suninen and Hussi requiring a major turnaround on the final test to challenge Virves again.
Read Also
Jari-Matti Latvala is chasing Rally2 victory at WRC Finland 2026 but says he must remain patient while trying to catch Robert Virves.
Teemu Suninen criticised a tyre issue after a puncture at WRC Finland 2026 cost him over 30 seconds and dealt a major blow to his WRC2 victory bid.
Teemu Suninen and Roope Korhonen are locked in a fierce WRC2 fight at WRC Finland 2026 with the top four separated by only 2.1 seconds.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!