Home favourite Marcus Gronholm resisted a powerful challenge from last year's winner Sebastien Loeb to lead after the first day of Rally Finland today.
Ford driver Gronholm won the first three stages as the rest of the field struggled in wet conditions.
Frenchman Loeb then triumphed in three of the final five stages to reduce Gronholm's lead to 12secs.
Gronholm, the 2000 and 2002 world champion, told reporters: 'It was so, so slippery this afternoon.
'They are incredible conditions. We lost too much time in the mud but we hope to attack tomorrow.'
Loeb won stages five and six, the latter by 1.1secs.
Gronholm then beat Loeb by 4.2secs before the Frenchman won stage eight by 5.3secs.
The Finn hit back again by taking the final stage by one tenth of a second.
'I believe I wasted time in the morning,' said Loeb. 'The conditions were bad and I couldn't get up to the pace that is needed here and which is necessary to follow Marcus.'
Ford driver Mikko Hirvonen of Finland was third overall, ahead of Norwegian Petter Solberg in his Subaru.
Gronholm is looking for his sixth win in seven years at his home event.
Loeb has a 33-point advantage over Gronholm in the points standings.
RALLY OF FINLAND (Positions after first leg):
1 M Groenholm (Fin) Ford 1:12:59.6
2 S Loeb (Fra) Citroen +00:12.0
3 M Hirvonen (Fin) Ford 00:43.5
4 P Solberg (Nor) Subaru 00:52.9
5 H Solberg (Nor) Peugeot 01:47.2
6 C Atkinson (Aus) Subaru 02:17.1
7 D Sordo (Spa) Citroen 02:45.0
8 G Galli (Ita) Peugeot 02:49.6
9 J Valimaeki (Fin) Mitsubishi 03:02.3
10 J Tuohino (Fin) Citroen 03:06.0
