Max Vatanen wins on Rally Finland! 01.08.2016: Max Vatanen has claimed a memorable and commanding victory on home soil on

Max Vatanen has claimed a memorable and commanding victory on home soil on Rally Finland, earning two prize drives in a higher category in next season’s World Rally Championship.


Competing in the land where his father Ari Vatanen, the 1981 World Champion, has heroic status, Max finished up well over two minutes clear in the hotly-contested Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy after a fast and faultless performance.


Max was rapid from the start over the WRC’s fastest stages, setting quickest times on the event’s first three proper stages and trading first place with the championship leader Osain Pryce.


He ended the first leg just 1.1 seconds behind the Welshman, who then crashed out on Saturday’s first competitively-driven stage, which Max won to move into a 51s advantage.


This margin became 2m25s by the end of the rally after his next closest rival was caught out by the unforgiving gravel roads on Sunday morning.


The win is Max’s second in the DDFT, where drivers compete in identical Ford Fiesta R2Ts, and moves him up to second in the championship, just five points behind Pryce.


Perhaps more significantly, for now at least, is that he has won prize drives in the more powerful, four-wheel drive Fiesta R5 model in WRC2 next season, awarded by DMACK and M-Sport for being the top scorer over the Polish and Finnish rounds of the series. A seven-round WRC2 campaign is up for grabs for the DDFT champion.


Max’s victory came in just his second event with his new co-driver Maxime Vilmot, the pair having gelled instantly.


Strong teamwork between driver and navigator are particularly valuable on Rally Finland, where precise pace notes are crucial on the high-speed stages filled with massive jumps.


“It feels really special to win here on my home rally,” said a delighted Max. “We had a really good clean rally; we didn’t make any mistakes and kept it under control.


I am really pleased to be here as a winner on Rally Finland. It’s fantastic to win the prize drives too.


“The hard work has paid off, I’ve felt good since the start of the rally. The car worked well and the tyres were really good, and I’m really happy with my new co-driver – it was a great combination that made this result possible.”




- Anthony Peacock - photo M.Vatanen