Event information
Rally Finland (July 30-August 2), round 9 of 12

Surface: gravel

Host town: Jyväskylä

Practical information: Rally HQ and the Media Centre are based at the Jyväskylä Paviljonki. The service area is alongside Rally HQ. There is a time difference of one hour between Finland (GMT+3) and continental Europe (GMT+2). When it is 10am in Finland, it is 9am in France. Sunrise on Day 1 of the rally (Friday, July 31) is 4.39am. Sunset is at 10.06pm. The local currency is the Euro.

Technical matters: The Citroën C4 WRCs will be powered by the same engines which were used in Greece and Poland.

Tyres: each crew will have 42 soft compound Pirelli Scorpion tyres for the event (including shakedown). Competitors may carry two spares, but the ’re-cutting’ of tread patterns is not authorised.

Recce: Tuesday July 28 and Wednesday July 29 ((8.00am until 8.00pm). Two passes per stage maximum.

Shakedown: Thursday July 30 (8.00am to 12 noon). The 3.76km test stage in Laajavuori (the same as 2008) is 6km from the service area.

Press conference: Thursday July 30 (1.30pm), Media Centre.

Route length: 1263.20km, including 347.12km divided into 17 stages (9 different).

Day 1: 519.45km, including 130.84km divided into 10 stages (5 different). Thursday, July 30: start at 18.15. SS1 (Killeri 1, 2.06km). Parc ferme (19.30). Friday, July 31: Service A (06.00, 15 minutes). SS2 (Jukojärvi 1, 22.29km). SS3 (Kruununperä 1, 13.51km), SS4 (Mökkiperä 1, 13.64km) and SS5 (Palsankylä 1, 13.92km). Regroup (10.56, 13 minutes). Service B (11.09, 30 minutes). SS6 (Jukojärvi 2, 22.29km), SS7 (Kruununperä 2, 13.51km), SS8 (Mökkiperä 2, 13.64km) and SS9 (Palsankylä 2, 13.92km). Service C (16.20, 45 minutes). SS10 (SSS Killeri 2, 2.06km). Parc ferme (20.30).

Day 2 (Saturday, August 1): 644.89km, including 166.87km divided into 9 stages (6 different). Service D (06.15, 15 minutes). SS11 (Leustu 1, 21.35km), SS12 (Himos 1, 20.94km) and SS13 (Surkee 1, 14.95km). Regroup (10.11, 13 minutes). Service E (10.24, 30 minutes). SS14 (Leustu 2, 21.35km), SS15 (Himos 2, 20.94km) and SS16 (Surkee 2, 14.95km). Regroup (14.35, 13 minutes). Service F (14.48, 30 minutes). SS17 (Urria, 12.75km), SS18 (Kavala, 10.35km) and SS19 (Väärinmaja, 29.29km). Service G (19.57, 45 minutes). Last car due into parc ferme at 23.00.

Day 3 (Sunday, August 2): 285.27km, including 47.44km divided into 4 stages (3 different). Service H (06.50, 15 minutes). SS20 (Hannula, 10.82km), SS21 (Myhinpää 1, 15.06km). Regroup (09.46, 30 minutes). SS22 (Myhinpää 2, 15.06km), SS23 (Ruuhimäki, 6.50km). Service I (13.16, 10 minutes). Finish (13.26).

Podium ceremony: Sunday August 2 (from 14.00).

Post-rally press conference: Sunday August 2 (14.45), Media Centre. New: eleven of the 23 stages are identical to those used last year (SS1/2/5/6/9/10/11/14/17/20/23). The others are a combination of new roads and portions used between 2005 and 2008. Only Kavala (SS18) and Myhinpää (SS21/22) are entirely new.

The crews’ WRC statistics before this rally:
Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: WRC debut: Catalunya 1999 (Saxo Kit-Car, retired). WRC starts: 120. First WRC win: Germany 2002 (Xsara WRC). WRC wins: 52. WRC titles: 5 (2004 to 2008).

Dani Sordo: WRC debut: Catalunya 2003 (18th). WRC starts: 66. Junior title: 2005 (C2 S1600).

Marc Marti: WRC debut: Catalunya 1992 (21st). WRC starts: 132. Junior title: 2005 (C2 S1600).

The crews’ Rally Finland records before this rally:
Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: 10th participation. 2000 (Saxo Kit-Car, retired), 2001 (Saxo S6100, 28th), 2002 (Xsara WRC, 10th), 2003 (Xsara WRC, 5th), 2004 (Xsara WRC, 4th), 2005 (Xsara WRC, 2nd), 2006 (Xsara WRC, 2nd), 2007 (C4 WRC, 3rd) and 2008 (C4 WRC, 1st).

Dani Sordo: fifth participation. 2005 (C2 S1600, 15th), 2006 (Xsara WRC, retired), 2007 (C4 WRC, retired) and 2008 (C4 WRC, 4th).

Marc Marti: 11th participation. 1997 (Seat Ibiza, 23rd), 1998 (Seat Cordoba, retired), 1999 (Subaru Impreza, retired), 2000 (Mitsubishi Lancer, retired), 2003 (Xsara WRC, 4th), 2004 (Xsara WRC, 3rd), 2005 (C2 S1600, 15th), 2006 (Xsara WRC, retired), 2007 (C4 WRC, retired) and 2008 (C4 WRC, 4th).

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