Jari-Matti Latvala: “Kalle Rovanperä impressed me”

How would you characterize the race and Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen?

They put in an incredible performance to win. At the start of the weekend I was a little worried that they were going to have to open the road, but they did very well. Then their speed was impressive. Thanks to them for giving us the first victory for the Yaris hybrid. This rewards the hard work of the team.

Did you think the Yaris Rally1 would be as effective on this terrain?

We weren't good at the Arctic last year. Coming here, we hoped we could be competitive. This was confirmed on Friday. We were able to verify that the car behaved well in ruts and on the road. It was during the second pass that Kalle impressed me with his times in very delicate conditions. He managed to keep a cool head and not make any mistakes.

In your opinion, is Umeå the ideal choice for rally ?  

I consider the location to be very good. The stages are close to the service park and the town is nice. There was a lot of snow and I think that eventually we will have to find more technical sections.

ALSO READ > Hayden Paddon returns to WRC