Neste Oil Rally
Finland

Formerly known as the 1000 Lakes, Rally Finland is one of the most popular events on the calendar. It's a fast gravel affair, with high-speed runs along tree-lined tracks, peppered with fast, flying yumps that demand absolute, balls-out commitment. No wonder it's a firm favourite for teams, drivers, media and fans alike.

As ever, Rally Finland is based in the bustling student town of Jyvaskyla, located in the lake district area of central Finland. The town turns into a real party mecca for the weekend. It all makes for an incredibly friendly atmosphere that really hots up when the rally is over on the Sunday. If you're not so nightlife-inclined, however, the area and villages around the city are picturesque and calm, with plenty of stunning scenery and woodland areas for you to explore.

To win here, you need a savvy combination of tactical nous, smooth and efficient technique and flat-out commitment to cope with the high speeds, fast kinks and mammoth jumps that litter the smooth, loose-surface stages. Over the years, the event has been dominated by the Scandinavians (and most recently double champion Marcus Gronholm). They're used to driving on roads like these since they were knee-high to a grasshopper. That local experience counts.

Recent Winners

2007 Marcus Gronholm (Ford Focus RS)
2006 Marcus Gronholm (Ford Focus RS)
2005 Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot 307)
2004 Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot 307)
2003 Markko Martin (Ford Focus)
2002 Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot 206)
2001 Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot 206)
2000 Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot 206)
1999 Juha Kankkunen (Subaru Impreza)
1998 Tommi Makinen (Mitsubishi Lancer)
1997 Tommi Makinen (Mitsubishi Lancer)
1996 Tommi Makinen (Mitsubishi Lancer)