48. Neste Rally Finland 1998
21. 8. – 23. 8. 1998, Jyväskylä • gravel 384.10 km • total distance including road sections - 1271.10 km • Other years
Info
SS24
The rally didn't end too soon, we have driven for some days and if you haven't been able to close the gap the journey can't continue. Next year's car is on a completely different level. Next year we should have enough pace.
This win was more than needed. A win is always a win, no matter where it comes from. A win on home soil is always a win on home soil. More than important for the title race.
I was able to drive with easy mind because over half a minute on 100 km in this rally is a lot
Our target was to be in top ten and we got that. With this machinery we can't match the top drivers but we were focusing on reliability. There was a lot of WRC cars but not all of them lasted until the finish.
We did some testing on the final day. It was valuable information about how the car is developed in the future
If and if! Now we see at least that the pace is enough
Puncture
We changed the pace notes and slowed them down especially in corners where we were about to go off on the first pass
During today we made a lot changes into the pace notes for next year
I'm quite happy, because second place in Finland is a good achievement
SS23
One of the front dampers went broken because the car bounced so badly. Without that we could have gone even faster.
There is a bit too much gap. I cannot close it.
SS22
Anything can still happen
SS20
We hope [Juha can catch Carlos]. Unfortunately only small gaps so far, but luckily on this stage Juha was able to catch nicely, hopefully the same pace would continue, it would be more than welcome.
Juha is pushing very hard. I try my best but not easy for me.
I don't know [if I can catch Carlos]. Let's try, let's see how next stage, if it goes then it goes
SS19
A damper broke from the top. The fault must have been caused by last night's off in Surkee.
SS18
The morning was difficult for us. On the wide roads we have went relatively well. When there is not a lot of accelerations and you can keep the right foot down, it goes well. We don't give up, the guys don't give up either. Driving against Sainz is not a new situation for us. Tommi is too far already.
I did my best but I couldn't go any faster. The rally is still not over yet.
Our lead is solid. We have went flat out all the time since Carlos is pushing hard. Today it has been better to drive, it has been slippery only at times.
SS17
Off road
We had to remove front wheel drive so the transmission wouldn't have broken completely. I'm starting to build confidence in the driving.
We tried different tyres but they didn't have traction. Our position is quite safe so we can experiment.
I tried to focus on this stage and the result was good. Now we can ease off since half a minute in this rally is long. The car is now good, it works on small road and most importantly on wide road.
SS16
Heavy jump
Water temperature has been at 140 degrees on the three last stages
10 km into the stage I cut too much and hit a stone. The impact was hard. I tried that everything is OK. The driving went well until 4 km before the finish the wheel folded under the car and we went straight into a ditch. Goddamn! Luckily it was a slow corner.
The front left corner hit a stone. I slowed down a bit. When I noticed everything is OK I went flat out again.
Off road
SS15
Ouninpohja suits me, I will take the jumps easily this time where I have always ruined my rally and it should be a good time.
We don't need to go faster, the gap is good. These roads have been easier and don't make such big gaps, it's very equal.
SS14
We came into a braking over a crest after a long straight, a bit too fast and the wrong line, went onto the ball bearing, started spinning and went onto the inside of the corner and rolled over. The radiator and power steering pump are broken but all wheels are aligned. If they can make the car drivable, we try [to catch McRae]
Rolled
SS12
Whoa! Yeah! I didn't expect such a good time but it was great. We still have some chances, let's put on some pressure for the boys!
We will see, it's very difficult [to catch Tommi]
The spectators come onto the road too much. In many places they are running from us. After the zero cars the spectators should remember not to be on the road again because often we can be very close to the zero cars, we can even almost catch them on some stages, it's very dangerous to walk on the road after zero cars.
Hit a stone on the small road
SS11
Briefly into a ditch
We almost spun. The small roads were bad. The top drivers cut so much that it brings mud onto the road.
Tommi has gone so fast that we can't keep up. We need to have something more but we have driven as fast as we can. I have antibiotics because of a cold. This morning I took it in empty stomach it made my stomach go bad.
Junction overshoot into a field
Junction overshoot
SS10
It has been better. The ending was really bad, really slippery, we almost spun twice and in the beginning we hit a stone which was on the road, not outside the road, and the wheel angles went off.
SS9
Everything works but we're careful, about 80% pace.
I have enjoyed driving. Especially I was satisfied in the two last stages.
The car was really nervous at the beginning of the rally. I didn't even knwo what caused it. Regardless of that we had to push not to lose too much. The handling improved by changing dampers. They are similar as the previous ones, but the handling improved.
Crew needed eye drops because the roof vents couldn't be kept open in the rain so the hot air had strained their eyes.
The weather is difficult and the car doesn't have enough power to go, but the day went well. The suspension is a bit too soft, although we haven't yet bottomed out although the suspension travel is at the limit.
We tried hard on the first three stages before we found the balance. At first I couldn't believe how early you should start braking.
SS4
It's going OK now, good feeling to drive. Sadly Carlos won us by a second because we lost some time passing Colin, I had to slow down, it happened on the narrow section.
Off road
It's not a particularly tricky place. It was just so slippery that there was nothing to do. Usually we have the needed spare parts but now we didn't have them. We would have had to do drive 70 km before the next service so retirement was the only option. It's a bummer since I was just getting up to pace.
Hit a tree, broken rear suspension
SS3
I would have changed different tyres after the first stage but we're not allowed to change them. Now we're going for a different type of tyre because it seems it's still raining and I hope it works.
We tested here in 1997 so Risto can leave out a couple of pace notes
SS2
Then occurred a surprising movement that I couldn't expect. The steering was at max, the car front pointing at a field and we went into a ditch, the car stopped there and it took time before we got it off.
It was all mud, we went out twice into a field
Overshoot
Stuck in a ditch
SS1
We came carefully because they warned us that it would be slippery and it was slippery at times!
It's very very slippery. No problems, the car slides too much but we try to fix that.
I think the biggest tension went away now. It's very slippery, clay slur, it takes the car too much sideways. We went wide in one left hander but no other problems.
It was pretty good. Not even the tiniest [problem with spectators]. [The tyre] bit quite well, it wasn't so bad, but a few corners were really slippery.
OK except that I dropped a wheel into the ditch in the junction and lost a bit of time. [The spectators] tried to take pictures and stand on the road.
Close to an accident with the people in the middle of the road. Please, tell the people to move away! They could not hear the car and they were in the middle. Very dangerous.
[We went off] in the last junction. No [problems with the spectators]. [The tyre choice] was Good/OK.
Went into a ditch
Briefly into a ditch