Despite those failures to finish though, the Italian has still notched up 17 points thus far - following five points results from eight, including a third in Sweden - and he is currently the top
Stobart pilot in the drivers' championship, in seventh place overall, 1 point up on his team-mate,
Henning Solberg.
Now he will want to defend that position and he will be keen to get in the top five, on what will be his eighth outing on the '1000 Lakes'.
"I can’t wait to get back rallying after this long break," said the likeable Italian, who missed the event in 2007, but was fifth in 2006 and won the Group N class in 2004. "I have been annoyed sitting at home and not being able to go rallying!
"We have done this rally many times before and I know it well. It is a bit of a shame that the famous Ouninpohja stage has been cancelled this year because it is one of my all time favourites. It is not going to be easy either because Mikko [Hirvonen] and Jari-Matti [Latvala] will be lightning fast.
"But we will try our best and the pace has been very good for us over the last three gravel events, now we just need a bit of luck and a good result.
"Finland is also a famous rally for all the spectators and there will be lots of Italians there because it is the vacation time in Italy so hopefully most of them will be supporting me."
Henning Solberg meanwhile believes that a podium finish could be within his grasp come the finish. The Norwegian, who will compete in the second Stobart team entry and who will be nominated to score manufacturers' points, has the most experience of the '1000 Lakes' of all the three Ford 'B' drivers' with eight starts under his belt.
