Rovanperä: “I want to win, but I won’t do anything stupid”

Kalle Rovanperä is racing at home this weekend. Not all potential world champions are lucky enough to have a competition taking place in their hometown. “ I'm not in Finland that often, but it's true that it's a special situation, recognized the Finn who was born in this town and who has part of his family there. We have no reason to put pressure on ourselves for anything anyway. I'm not obligated to win. This is not my main objective. We need to have a good race to score points. »

With 83 units ahead of 2^e Thierry Neuville this caution is a bit of a stretch, especially since all of Jyväskylä expects success from the local child. Kalle Rovanperä, however, explains this. “ I think it is important to consider the points, supports the pilot of the Toyota Gazoo Racing. Everything will actually depend on the start of the rally. If I'm in the rhythm, of course I'll do my best to try to win like I do everywhere else. If, on the other hand, I feel that it is very difficult, I won't do anything stupid. My teammates, Elfyn Evans and Esapekka Lappi will be formidable opponents. They have already established themselves here and they really want to do it again. In other events at the start of the season, I set out telling myself that I could try anything to win. As the end of the year approaches, this is no longer possible. I have to think about the championship. The gaps are certainly large, but I don't want to risk them getting smaller, which means we have to have a careful, worry-free rally with points at the finish. »

While we must always be wary of what Kalle Rovanperä describes as “cautious”, it seems that the 21-year-old driver will not try everything to win. Before rejoicing, however, his opponents must wait for the verdict of the first qualifying rounds when he will have the helmet on his head. See you Thursday evening (18:08 p.m.) for the first special.

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