49. Neste Rally Finland 1999
20. 8. – 22. 8. 1999, Jyväskylä • gravel 377.26 km • total distance including road sections - 1218.42 km • Other years
Info
SS23
There was no chance [to go for TV stage points] because it was raining and the first small road beginning was so muddy, couldn't do anything else, just drive through it and that's it. [The tyres were] black round Pirelli.
It was fast as I could drive. It was quite difficult to find good speed and exactly the best place to start braking and so on. I did what I could.
SS22
It looks good at the moment. We drive normally [through the TV stage]. Let's see, the stage is quite short so it could suit a softer tyre but it staggers so maybe it is of no advantage. I need to ask Timppa what the stage is like. I won't risk anything, I don't like this concept of the TV stage, I drive normally, like I said I think Tommi will handle those points.
SS20
The stages have been too fast for the car, we cannot reply [to Colin]. When we go on sixth gear for long we don't match the others, our gear ratio slash engine torque is wrong at the top.
I'm trying very hard for sure, I don't want to come in third place. I think Juha can drive quite well in Finland so I think he should be OK.
It seems that the two Subarus are flying really, they are going very fast, I have no chance to follow that speed.
Damaged rear wheel
We had only one spare wheel, the rear wheel is still broken, as you can see there is a piece missing, it shakes a lot.
SS19
Front puncture, mousse failed, rear wheel damaged
SS18
Nothing really happened. Richard made a really good time. Not so much harm [being first on the road] as it was a bit damp. Now it's a bit drier, the rain I hoped for didn't come. Lempää is a good stage!
Yeah it started going well. It felt a bit in the end that I could have gone faster at the and, we took it safely but the time is really good, maybe the beginning went well. Let's say we didn't go completely on safety side because we tried to catch Basti (Lindholm) and keep Didier behind, small pushing, but with healthy pace. Now there wasn't any tight junctions, we still have a risk of stalling in them. And there shouldn't be any tight junctions on the remaining stages!
It was a couple of seconds from Carlos and Juha as well but still trying I think I lost a little bit I wasn't really hard enough
No changes at all, it's just one tenth only Juha took to me, Richard is also taking some time on me, so I don't know, just keep trying.
SS15
There was a mistake in the service. Oils came out when we were leaving. Everything was opened again. A clip in the power steering flew away. It's like this. Now we've lost the fight for the lead. Nothing we can do about it. Don't know if it's dramatic but sad. I was first cautious in the beginning [of this stage] but it seemed to work well.
SS14
Off road, wheel angles heavily toed out
Rolled
Hit a stone
Hit a stone
We could select gears but there was no drive, no connection between engine and transmission. It's like that, nothing you can do about it.
SS13
Now these couple of last stages have been quite good, in Sahalahti we went into a field but if we come safely the times are quite good.
I hit a stone with the rear wheel and had a puncture, I had to slow down a bit at the end. Otherwise it went well.
[Ouninpohja] is a fast and nice stage. If there is no grip it's difficult to drive. We need to try. A bit difficult [to play tactics for start position] because the boys are behind me, I can't do anything, same situation as last night
Yes, nothing to do about it, it's slippery [being first on the road], there is no coarser surface on the brakings, it's difficult for us. There's not a lot of [loose gravel] but a small layer of dust, small layer of gravel, no brake marks, nothing, it's difficult. We keep pushing.
SS11
Off into a field
SS10
This [car] does nothing but stalls in every junction. We had to push the car to get it running, we lost easily 20 seconds, I lose my nerves with this machine! It stalls instantly if I press the clutch and didn't restart because the battery is empty. [It happened] in the tight junction halfway through. It's not going well now.
Yeah, so far everything is going better now. We will see, still long time to go.
[The tyres] are same as before and they worked well. 10 km before the finish something happened, oil started smelling and horrible shaking in the car, I hope it's just mousse tyres.
The car was now better, not so bad but I'm still not completely satisfied. A bit nervous, making tricks that I cannot be relaxed. I'm not satisfied in my driving. Mostly unsatisfied with the driving. I don't trust the tricks that the car does especially on the small roads.
It went OK, no problems. I think it's maybe cleaning a little bit but I pushed quite hard in there because I know it's only been used last year, I think, for the first time so it's a good chance for me to catch some time back.
Excellent stage. If we only had enough traction. So much loose gravel that the first cars clean and the later cars come faster. [Switching from small to wide road] makes no difference.
SS9
It was good but it feels the car doesn't have strength to go fast. Quite good time still. [5 seconds to Carlos] is not much.
Not bad. Bit humid, we expect to have a bit more dry
It was quite soft. Our car understeers, can't get the best rhythm. A couple of times it understeers from high speed and the corner exits go wide. It could have gone better for sure. We had soft tyres, maybe it was still a good choice but in the end it started sliding.
The car is a big catastrophe. I can't go straight.
Our car is too soft, the conditions are harder than I assumed, it doesn't keep on the line, we need to think in the service what we should do. The suspension is too soft, the bottom armor hits the ground all the time and steers the car.
Yeah no problem [being third on the road], I think it's 50/50 between it being damp and it cleaning so I don't think it makea any difference, for me it's better following some Finnish lines
The speed has been satisfying, not good
Not yet [disadvantage from starting first on the road]. Once we get closer to Tampere it could be a disadvantage but not yet at all. The car suits these stages well, nothing to complain about.
SS8
The car stalled, wheels locked, no idling at all, it stalled and didn't restart, we must have lost 8-10 seconds, the time would have been good.
Puncture
Stall
SS7
Everyone knew our time and how fast we were, then it's easy to drive the stage with the watch and drive with suitable pace not to be first. During the day it went really well since it was a bit damp but the two last stages were really dry and it showed in the times. There's some small electrical issues but I believe we can fix it and we change a bit from the transmission for tomorrow, all OK.
I tried to drive slowly but he drove slower. I'm in a position where he knows my time before he has to start so he can drive even slower. In that sense this stage is stupid when the whole day goes to waste and in the evening the seconds are given away. It's stupid but no can do.
For me it's more important I can see some lines on the road because tomorrow it's where all the stages are that everybody knows very well and they are very wide and the line is absolutely crucial so it's better for me that I can see the lines a little bit than being the one making the lines and maybe making some mistakes.
It goes well now. Especially the last stages were suiting our car nicely. On the fastest roads with long sixth gear sections, it feels that power and speed are lacking. We've seen that from radar. Hopefully some cure for that tomorrow. In the morning we had hydraulic trouble in the center diff, a pipe came loose, the oil came out and we thought it's going to end here but we made it to service and after that everything has been good. We decided with Peugeot's team leader that we go first [on the road tomorrow]. I try to keep us in the game by driving for the third day so we wouldn't be too far. We can lose a bit tomorrow. On some roads not at all, more on some roads. I would prefer a bit of rain, it would suit us better.
SS3
The car doesn't go fast on fast roads, we have to shift down from sixth gear. I don't understand, in the test the engine has been the best part of the car but now it feels all the power is gone. On this stage we lost hydraulic oil because of a broken pipe. There's enough drama!
It will level out because it has been dry for so long that the roads are slippery so the first cars suffer and cleans for the latter cars, it keeps the pack together. I don't believe we'll see big gaps anywhere.
The stages are maybe a little bit better known now with these next three stages by the other drivers so I'll keep on trying. Of course [I'd like to beat them]
SS1
Crashed in the first corner, continued with right rear wheel damage
Does not go anywhere. The engine doesn't have any power!
Briefly into a ditch
It doesn't go anywhere! Our top speed is 170 km/h on the straight, not a bit faster.
I was late from the start! There was supposed to be a green light but it didn't and then the zeros lit and I waited and Juha told me to go. We lost some time but it wasn't that bad.
Briefly into a ditch
Gets you up to speed right away, a really high-speed stage. Good feeling. It goes well [with the car].