In his victory in Finland, Ott Tänak achieved an average speed of 125.3 km/h – only three times in WRC history has a winner been faster
Ott Tänak has never been as fast in the World Rally Championship (WRC) as he was during his victory in Rally Finland 2022 last weekend. The Hyundai driver finished the rally with an average speed of 125.3 km/h. This made this year’s edition of Rally Finland the fourth fastest round in WRC history.
Our photo gallery “Top 10. The fastest rallies in the WRC” shows which rallies in the past were similarly fast or even faster: The fastest WRC rallies”.
A look at the Top 10 makes it clear: If you want to set a record pace, you should do it in Finland. Nine of the ten fastest rallies in WRC history were held there. The only exotic in this list is the Rally Sweden 2020, which now ranks fifth.
It may seem surprising at first glance that the only WRC round on ice and snow appears in the top 10. But the spike tyres used there offer so much grip on a firm snow surface that very high speeds are also possible in the corners.
With his speed in Finland, Tänak missed the Top 3 by only 0.15 km/h. Kris Meeke, who won in Finland in 2016 with an average of 126.63 km/h, remains the undisputed leader of the list.
Incidentally, the 2022 Rally Finland ousted a perennial favourite from the top 10. The 2000 Safari Rally, which the unforgettable Richard Burns had won with an average speed of 122.4 km/h, is now only the eleventh-fastest rally in WRC history.