'Remarkable' top-ten result for Kankkunen in Finland

After eight years in retirement, Finnish rally legend Juha Kankkunen returned to the FIA World Rally Championship in his home 💎country this weekend and finished a very credible eighth overall in his Focus RS WRC car.
The 51-year-old, who won𒊎 the WRC drivers' title in 1986, 1987, 1991 and 1993, put in a sterling display o🔴n the new-look Rally Finland, even though this was his first outing at the top-level since 2002.
Indeed the Stobart Ford guest man set a number of very respectable stage times, with 15-top ten times out of a possible 19, his best results, two 🅘seventh quickest efforts on Friday in SS8 a♍nd SS10.
"I was proud to hear the support of so many fans this weekend and was very happy to be here with some of the best rallying people in the world - many of them have known me for more than 20 years," Kankkune𝔍n said. "Today was a long day and I struggled to warm up first thing but it was nice to entertain the big crowd with some slides this weekend - even though that's not the fastest way to 🔜go!
"I drove at my own pace for this rally and didn't try to catch the title-cha🤪sers. My aim was to finish in the top ten finish so I am verꦅy happy to have finished in eighth and, of course, ahead of [F1 2007 world champion] Kimi [R?ikk?nen]."
Kankkunen also got a bit of ext🌸ra recognition at the finish, when he received the Abu Dhabi Spirit of the Ral✅ly Award.
"I am delighted to receive this," Kankkunen continued. "It has been fantastic to get back behind the wheel. It was a 📖fantastic opportunity to enjoy a World Rally Car [this weekend]. I hadn't spent much time in the latest generation cars and I knew there have been a lot of changes, but꧅ I didn't have any undue surprises."
Ford / M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson meanwhile saluted Kankkunen and added that he was proud to see the four-time world champion back and running for the 'Blue Oval': "It has been a pleasure having Ju🎃ha as part of the Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team this weekend. Considering Juha has had virtually no experience of the new generation WRC cars, it is remarkable that he finished inside the top ten," Wils✱on summed-up.