For her 22nd birthday, Kalle Rovanperä takes the lead in the rally

He had warned before departure. Kalle Rovanperä wanted to forget the last two mediocre rallies and wanted to have fun. After having managed to negotiate Friday's stage well as he swept the road, the Finn took advantage of SS8 to overtake Sébastien Ogier and get on the 3^e provisional march, then he proved untouchable in the next one, this time settling in first place. Fergus Greensmith's violent exit in the final section of the loop caused the cancellation of SS10. Rovanperä returned to his assistance with a slim lead of 4s6 over Ott Tänak et 6s5 sur Ogier. Le pilote Toyota pouvait avoir le sourire. « We decided to attack, he explained, hiding under his umbrella. It wasn't easy, because the grip was really precarious. I tried to keep a margin, but the grip was changing so quickly that it wasn't easy. It's not the first time this year that we've been effective in these types of conditions and it seems to suit me to have to face stages in the rain. »

The Toyota Gazoo Racing team had prepared a cake for the probable future 2022 world champion (Loïc Rocci)

When he arrived under the structure, the Toyota Gazoo Racing staff was waiting for him with a cake, hats and even a few whistles. At the age of 22, Rovanperä appreciated the welcome from his team which included Harri Rovanperä who will perhaps have the opportunity to smile even more tomorrow if Kalle wins the world crown.

Kalle Rovanperä celebrated her 22nd birthday in the Toyota team on Saturday noon (Loïc Rocci)

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