Jari-Matti Latvala admitted he was surprised by the unusual rain pattern that disrupted Friday at WRC Finland 2026, with two successive showers affecting more than one special stage and making conditions significantly more difficult.
Latvala is competing again as a driver in a Toyota Rally2 car and ended Friday third among the Rally2 runners. He sits exactly 20.0 seconds behind Robert Virves, with Roope Korhonen between them at 13.5 seconds off the lead.
“We’ve been hit by rain showers before, but this time it was unusual. Normally you get one shower, but this time another one came straight afterwards,” Latvala said. He explained that the first shower affected several cars already on the stage before another wave of rain struck later runners.
“I’ve never really experienced anything like that before. Usually one stage is affected, but this time two stages were compromised. It was quite an unusual situation,” he added.
Latvala also believes rain has become increasingly common at WRC Finland. He recalled that Jyväskylä rallies during the 2010s were generally warm and dry, whereas the 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions have featured considerably more rain, softening the roads and contributing to greater surface deterioration.
Although Juha Kankkunen is handling Toyota Team Principal duties this weekend, Latvala has continued to follow the Rally1 battle closely. He reserved particular praise for Sebastien Ogier, highlighting both his outright speed and his ability to manage the changing conditions throughout Friday.
Latvala still sees an opportunity to challenge the Rally2 leader on Saturday despite his 20-second deficit. He believes that will require a near-perfect performance from the opening special stage as WRC Finland 2026 moves into its next phase.
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