Feature: the fast and the Finnish
A WRC newbie learns there’s a bizarre glimpse of humanity sandwiched between the speed
BROADLY speaking, a walk in the forest is seen as a serene experience where the mind can wander and the weary town dweller can relax. But, in the depths of the forests outside Jyväskylä, Finland, such vagaries are queued to the back of my mind. They’re standing rmly behind the numerous vintage Youtube clips of somersaulting rally cars pancaking hapless spectators and the fact that, at most, a couple of r saplings and yellow tape are all which separate me from the snarling streaks of gaily liveried hatchbacks whipping past.
You may think this sentiment lame, what with the nal day of the Neste Rally Finland abuzz with the notion that my host, Toyota, and its trio of nandrolone-infused Gazoo Racing Yarises look set to net a one-twothree Finnish nish. You need to understand, to me, motorsport – especially rallying – doesn’t sit at the forefront of my interests, so I’m viewing the event in the veins of both sporting event and anthropological study which I logged over three days.