The 2024 edition of Lahti Historic Rally was packed with twists and turns, but the final twist came after the driving had ended. Frenchman Florent Todeschini, who delivered an astonishingly fast performance in his first race with a rear-wheel-drive car, celebrated his victory on the podium. However, during the post-rally technical inspection, it was discovered that his Ford Escort RS did not fully comply with homologation standards. The car, which features an option to use power steering and was fitted with a non-compliant rear axle Watt linkage solution, both as used in the French series, was deemed ineligible under international historic regulations. Consequently, Todeschini was disqualified from the final results.
Lahti Historic Rally 2024 winners Jari Huttunen – Topi Luhtinen. Photo Jarmo Mäki
As a result of this disqualification, Jari Huttunen was declared the winner. Huttunen, who was also competing in his first rear-wheel-drive rally in a Ford Escort RS, hails from Kiuruvesi and was seen smiling broadly throughout the event, clearly enjoying the challenge of driving a rear-wheel-drive car on Finland’s gravel roads. Huttunen was co-driven by Topi Luhtinen, who is part of Toyota’s junior program and usually co-drives for Japan’s Hikaru Kogure.
Second place was secured by the duo of Marko Uutela and Ville Mäkelä, driving a rear-wheel-drive Opel Ascona 400. Last year, they faced disqualification in the post-race inspection due to incorrect rear brake discs. This time, they finished 31.8 seconds behind Huttunen.
Third place was taken by Tommi Hannuksela and Jukka Vihtalahti, completing the trio of rear-wheel-drive cars in their Ford Escort RS. This pair, who shared a service area with Huttunen, finished 3 minutes and 51.8 seconds behind the winner.
Among the drivers registered for the FIA European Historic Rally Championship, the highest points were claimed by the British crew Ernie Graham and his daughter Anna, who regularly compete in Lahti. They drove a right-hand-drive Ford Escort RS and finished 5 minutes and 54.1 seconds behind Huttunen.
Many drivers who were expected to be front-runners encountered various issues during the rally. The duo of Jari-Matti Latvala and Janni Hussi, who were considered the favorites, were forced to retire on Friday after just the second special stage due to a timing belt issue in their four-wheel-drive Toyota Celica GT Four (ST 165). However, they rejoined on Saturday and set the fastest times on all the remaining stages. Another notable comeback was made by Hungary’s Tibor Érdi Jr. in his four-wheel-drive Ford Sierra Cosworth. After losing nearly six minutes to the leaders on the first stage, he mounted a furious chase, ultimately overtaking Graham on the penultimate stage to become the fastest among the series drivers. Unfortunately, a gearbox failure on the final stage ended his rally prematurely.
The darkest moment of the rally occurred on Friday during the third special stage when Ville Silvasti, a frequent podium finisher in Lahti, spectacularly rolled his magnificent Audi Quattro.
Competing in the same event with the FIA Historic European Championship were also the Finnish Historic Rally Trophy series and the Finnish Rally Championship. This year, the Future SM rally featured a special guest class, headlined by Lahti’s own Sami Pajari in a Toyota Corolla GT. Pajari, who recently made his WRC debut with Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Rally1 car in Jyväskylä, drove the rear-wheel-drive car with great flair and speed. On Friday’s final stage at Ylänte, he drove without pace notes and would have ranked fifth among the SM series drivers. Unfortunately, his rally ended with an engine failure on Saturday’s opening stage.
The guest class victory was claimed by stand-up comedian Ismo Leikola, who, in his third rally, showed increasing confidence with each stage. Even the most dedicated rally fans started nodding in approval at his performance, and judging by his cheerful demeanor throughout the event, his rally career is almost certain to continue.
Details about the different phases of the Historic Rally Trophy and Rally SM can be found on their respective websites. The Lahti Historic Rally will return on August 22-23, 2025.
