Will Ogier return in Finland?

The Frenchman's plans are clear for the next event in Estonia, but what about the WRC's summer festival of speed?

Photography by Toyota

Words by David Evans, DirtFish Head of Media

Will Sébastien Ogier defend his 2024 Secto Rally Finland victory? Ott Tänak’s sensational rally win aside, that was all anybody was talking about in Greece last week.

So, will he? Does he want to drive in Finland? For Toyota’s deputy team principal Juha Kankkunen, it’s more of a question about why you wouldn’t want to take to the skies and fly Finnish air.

To be clear, Kankkunen spilled no beans on the Frenchman’s program beyond last week’s Acropolis Rally Greece, but his demeanour when asked the question was fascinating. He stonewalled the response brilliantly, but you could see he found the concept of not competing in Finland a complicated one to understand. As well he might, having won his home round of the championship three times.

Typically, Ogier directed DirtFish towards Friday’s entry list being published for the Jyväskylä-based summer speed-fest.

“Like you’ve seen already,” said Ogier, “the next one [Estonia] I will definitely be sitting home and I think the entry list for the one after is also coming soon, so not long to wait to know the answer…”

After a few years away, Ogier came back for Finland last year - and won

Last year, after a two-year absence, Ogier delivered a quite brilliant win in Finland – but he was the first to say it didn’t feel right standing on the podium’s top step for the second time. Erstwhile leader and Finnish frontman Kalle Rovanperä took a 45-second lead into the penultimate stage, only to be tipped into the Moksi trees by a genuinely unavoidable rock in the middle of the road.

Ogier was a conflict of emotions at the finish last year.

“A win here in Finland,” he said, “it’s always nice to have – but this one does not feel like a win. It’s hard to smile right now. I feel sorry for Kalle and Jonne [Halttunen, co-driver]. Their pace was amazing all weekend.”

So Ogier’s going to take a shot at Suomi’s own current king of speed? Hmm… that’s a big statement and an even bigger call (one of the season’s biggest talking points surely has to be how Rovanperä will run across the next two fast gravel rounds – we’re going to tackle that one head on in the next couple of weeks.

We’ve said this before, Ogier’s in a different place in his career now. He’s not fresh out of Juniors, keen to keep it pinned here, there and everywhere. He’s an eight-time world champion who’s enjoying driving where he likes to drive. And everybody likes to drive in Finland.

So let’s put the question to Kankkunen a different way. Would he like to see Ogier in the car?

“Yes,” was the immediate reply. “Of course. We have a car for Séb for every rally he wants to drive. And definitely we need him. He’s in good form at the moment and he did a fantastic job in the last three rallies, all of them were very difficult.”

He’s not wrong. Nobody’s won more rallies than Ogier this year, nobody’s led more stages and only Ott Tänak has won more stages in 2025. Oh… and the Frenchman’s started two rallies and 39 stages less than those around him.

It’s his continued success that keeps him so relevant and valuable to Toyota. It’s also what affords him the chance to pick and chose.

“I say that many times,” Ogier smiled. “It’s such a luxury situation to be in this position where really the team gave me this amazing opportunity. Obviously five events this year, the points delivery is close to perfection on my side so, of course, that’s helped to get these opportunities, but still I’m thankful and grateful for what the team [is] offering me and yeah, when it’s like this and performing so well, of course you can be tempted to do more. But…”

The voice trails away with a bigger smile. He doesn’t need to say it. He’s said it all. Like he’s done – and won – it all.

Words:David Evans

Tags: Rally Finland, Rally Finland 2025, Sébastien Ogier, WRC, WRC 2025

Publish Date July 1, 2025 DirtFish https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2025/06/3l9roSRo-Ogier07GRE25mj350-780x520.jpg July 1, 2025

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