FINLAND, SCORPION ALSO THE CHOICE FOR THE FASTEST RALLY IN THE WORLD
The soft compound gravel tyres are the prime
As usual, occasional rain is forecast for the weekend
Testoni: “It’s one of the most interesting rallies of the year in which the accuracy of the notes can make all the difference”
Milan, 30 July 2024 – The stage is set for the ninth round of the WRC season, the fifth consecutive one to be run on gravel and the third in a row on the shores of the Baltic. Rally Finland boasts the longest jumps and the highest speeds of the whole championship and in the past few years it has certainly provided some spectacular action. All the elements are in place for the 2024 edition to also be very closely contested, not only because of the essential nature of the 20 special stages, but also because the fight for the drivers’ and constructors’ titles is still very open.
Once again, the forecast is for occasional, but never heavy, rain over the course of the weekend. The probable increased dampness of the road surfaces will only serve to accentuate the main challenges to be faced by the drivers, cars and tyres: they are low grip, despite the high top and average speeds, the narrow stages featuring straights interspersed with more technical sections, and the very long jumps, sometimes almost reaching 60 metres.
QUOTE PIRELLI
Terenzio Testoni, Rally activity manager: “Finland is a rally that can be won or lost even before the start of the event. That’s because the accuracy of the recce and the notes can make all the difference on such fast and narrow stages, characterised by low grip and made even tougher because of the many long jumps. With their wide working range and robustness, the Scorpions are the perfect tyres for this event. As always, I expect to see little signs of wear, but the tyres will be subjected to a lot of forces. I also expect to witness a great show, as has been the case in recent years, confirming that Rally Finland is one of the most interesting rounds of the world championship.”
THE PIRELLI TYRES IN FINLAND
In Finland, the prime is the new-generation soft compound Scorpion KX WRC SB, featuring a revised construction that ensures greater durability and resistance compared to its predecessor, while delivering the same level of performance. The option tyre is the hard compound Scorpion KX WRC HB, suitable for more abrasive surfaces and longer stages.
As per the regulations, each crew can use 28 of the prime and 8 of the option tyres. The number of options can be increased to 12 if the crew so wish, which reduces the number of primes by 4.
As for the other categories, in Finland, the Rally2 cars will have available the Scorpion K6B (soft) and the new K4C (hard), while the Rally3 cars will run the K6A (soft) and the K4A (hard). For these categories, the allocation is 26 and 8 for the prime and option respectively. Crews can increase the number of the latter to 12, reducing the number of the prime by 4.