JYVASKYLA, Finland // Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle secured a convincing victory at Rally Finland to give the Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team their second win of the season.
The second crew of Craig Breen/Scott Martin also finished on the podium in third in what was Round 8 of the FIA World Rally Championship.
“I am extremely happy with the way the weekend panned out,” Meeke said. “If Day 1 was great, Day 2 was even better and the huge lead at the end of that day really surprised me.”
It was never going to be easy though on the fast-paced stages, but Meeke, the first Briton to win Rally Finland, was behind the wheel of the DS 3 WRC, and took charge of the rally from the begining. He took an 18.1-second lead at the close of Day 1 and widened the gap at the top to 41 seconds after going into the overnight halt on Day 2.
On Sunday, the final day of action, it was all about defending the No 1 position given that there were only four stages to the finish. Meeke adopted a variation of caution and aggression to ensure that his lead remained intact.
Read more WRC
• Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi 'has a good feeling' ahead of Rally Finland in World Rally Championship
• Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team's Kris Meeke dominates Rally of Portugal
ADR chairman Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi, who also participated in a third DS 3 WRC, said: “I am so proud of Kris and Craig. I have always had great faith in both drivers and I know they are the future of the sport.
“I was so preoccupied with the prospect of a double podium for the team that I was just cruising towards the end of the weekend. This double podium is indeed a defining moment for Abu Dhabi Total WRT, the sport and Abu Dhabi as the capital of the UAE. The result places an imprint on the WRC calendar.”
Meeke finished the penultimate stage in sixth place and the power stage in eighth. It was their second victory of the season with a 29.1-second lead over the nearest challengers.
“A little bit crazy to be honest,” Meeke said. “This is the home of rally and Ouninpohja is the holy grail of stages. To win it how we did – incredible.
“I’ve been enjoying it like a little kid, playing and having fun. We always knew the DS 3 was good here. It’s been a team effort in the car too. Paul’s done an incredible job. What a result.”
Craig Breen added: “I can’t believe it. It’s the best day of my life. It’s been such a road to get here. I’m missing my main man [his late co-driver Gareth Roberts] and I know he’s looking down on me.
“When the rally began I never expected to be on the podium. It is a great feeling.”
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
