GRR

Video: This is the greatest rally stage on Earth. Fact.

09th August 2024
Ben Miles
It’s as hard to spell (for those of us who are not native Finnish speakers) as it is to drive, but ask almost everyone in the WRC what the best stage of all is, most will say Ouninpohja.

So, who better to be our guide than possibly the best rally driver on the planet right now, and a native of Finland. Kalle Rovanperä got his first chance to take on the famous challenge near Jyvaskyla in a Rally1 Hybrid this year as the stage returned to the WRC in full for the first time in seven years.

Riding onboard with a true master of his craft actually in some way makes the fearsome stage look a little less scary than it is. But you just have to take a quick look at the speeds they carry through this sweeping stage to realise how amazing it is. 

The real key, compared to many gravel stages on the calendar, is just how wide the road is on Ouninpohja. This means the cars are not attacked at close quarters by the perils of going off, and drivers can carry great sweeping lines through and therefore greater speed than most. Mix with a series of heartstopping crests and some massive jumps and you have the recipe for rallying perfection.

Sadly, Rovanperä would not go on to win the rally overall - he was leading on the penultimate stage when a rock sent him into the undergrowth, you can read more here - but he won both runs of Ouninphja. At an average speed of 126 and 128km/h. That’s incredible. 

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: Ride onboard with Sarah Bovy’s stunning São Paulo pole lap

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