The lead changed hands repeatedly across Friday’s eight forest stages as punctures and accidents disrupted several contenders before heavy rain added another layer of unpredictability during the afternoon loop.
Membrado began Friday fourth after Thursday evening’s Harju opener and immediately suffered tyre damage around five kilometres from the finish of Laukaa 1. He nevertheless reached the end only 21.6sec behind stage winner Ali Türkkan and gradually worked his way back into contention.
Lassila also encountered trouble on the opening test, spinning his Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo, but recovered strongly by winning Saarikas and climbing from third to second overall.
The complexion of the contest changed dramatically on the following Sydänmaa stage. Overnight leader Türkkan braked too late, overshot a corner and became stuck off the road. Spectators helped return his damaged Fiesta to the stage, but the Turkish driver lost more than three minutes.
Türkkan then nursed the resulting front-left suspension, exhaust and wishbone damage through Hoho before reaching midday service, where the car was repaired. His delay promoted Lassila into the lead, 8.8sec ahead of Membrado.
Championship leader Calle Carlberg had already endured his own setback. The Swede suffered a puncture three kilometres into Saarikas and lost 1min 05.8sec, dropping from second to sixth. He responded by winning Sydänmaa but tackled the final morning stage cautiously because he had no spare tyre remaining.
Craig Rahill had risen to third overall after Sydänmaa, only 15.4sec from the lead, but his strong run ended with a roll on Hoho.
“I just got caught out and lost the rear on a fast left-hander,” Rahill explained. “When I tried to correct it, I ran out of road, hit a tree on the inside and rolled.”
Membrado took control when the stages were repeated during the afternoon. Kerem Kazaz won Laukaa 2, but Lassila conceded 18.0sec to the Turkish driver and 14.3sec to Membrado, handing the Spaniard a 5.1sec lead.
Türkkan demonstrated that his repaired car had lost none of its speed by winning Saarikas 2, although Kazaz surrendered more than 30 seconds on the same test and slipped away from the leading pair.
Membrado then delivered a crucial stage victory in the rain on Sydänmaa 2. He beat Türkkan by 6.1sec and Lassila by 13.1sec, increasing his advantage to 19.7sec.
The 18-year-old had initially planned to adopt a cautious approach following his morning puncture but reported finding a comfortable and competitive rhythm as the day progressed.
Türkkan claimed another fastest time on Hoho 2, his fourth stage victory of the rally, before Lassila responded on Friday evening’s second Harju pass. The Finn edged Carlberg by 0.4sec and reduced Membrado’s overnight advantage from 23.0sec to 18.3sec.
Kazaz holds third, 48.5sec from the lead, despite his costly delay on Saarikas 2. Carlberg is fourth and 1min 14.8sec back, while Türkkan sits fifth, 6min 12.0sec behind Membrado.
Saturday features two passes each of Parkkola, Päijälä, Västilä and Leustu, giving Lassila more than 120 competitive kilometres in which to continue his pursuit of Membrado.
