WRC Finland 2026: Sebastien Ogier Holds Lead as Rain Hits SS7

Sebastien Ogier retained the lead of WRC Finland 2026 after heavy rain dramatically changed conditions on SS7 Saarikas 2, while his advantage over Sami Pajari was reduced to just 3.3 seconds.

Rain began falling gradually as Elfyn Evans started the stage, leaving the Welshman with relatively dry conditions. The intensity increased rapidly afterwards, making the surface considerably more difficult for the crews running later. Evans capitalised to set the fastest time, while Takamoto Katsuta, Pajari and Ogier were still able to limit their losses.

The biggest impact was felt by Oliver Solberg and Adrien Fourmaux. Solberg dropped almost a minute to Evans, while Fourmaux lost around a minute and a half after encountering heavy rain and severely restricted visibility. Fourmaux, who had been running third overall immediately behind Pajari, consequently fell to seventh.

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“This is dangerous. Worse than Africa! I couldn’t see anything because water was getting inside the car as well. Even my glasses fogged up,” Solberg said of the conditions on Saarikas.

Ogier remained at the top of the overall classification, but Pajari reduced his team-mate’s advantage by 2.1 seconds. “Bad luck, but we can’t control the weather when it changes so quickly. I’m happy I didn’t lose any more time to Pajari,” Ogier said. Pajari also reported that the rain became so heavy during the stage that visibility remained difficult even with the wipers operating at full speed.

The changing conditions also reshaped the order behind the leading pair. Evans moved into third ahead of Katsuta and Solberg, while Fourmaux was passed by several rivals following his substantial time loss. The outcome of SS7 left Toyota occupying all five of the leading positions in the overall classification.

Three more stages remain on Friday at WRC Finland 2026, beginning with SS8 Sydänmaa 2 before SS9 Hoho 2 and SS10 Harju 2. The rally continues throughout Saturday before concluding with two runs through Himos-Jämsä on Sunday, including the SS20 Power Stage.