Masterful Rovanperä in Estonia: “I knew that with this weather, we could make the difference”

This season, it's difficult to miss the phenomenon. Kalle Rovanperä, 21, won his 5th victory of the season at the Rally of Estonia, seventh round of the championship. At the end of a masterfully dominated event, the Finn leaves Otepää with an 83-point lead in the drivers' standings.

Malgré sa position de balayeur sur la route, le pilote Toyota a su profiter des conditions pluvieuses pour montrer sa vitesse. “Friday morning it was difficult to match Elfyn's pace but we were able to fight. The last day was not so easy to manage, it was longer than usual. It was also a big battle with the weather, admits the Finnish pilot. It was difficult to have such heavy rain in the final stages, but I still made a strong effort in the Power Stage. I knew that with the weather, we could make a difference and I tried to push while remaining careful. »

With the equivalent of 3 victories ahead of Thierry Neuville before the last 6 events of the season, Kalle Rovanperä can see it coming. With the characteristic coolness of Finnish drivers, he does not put pressure on himself and is already in the lead at his home rally (August 4-7). “ I had fun driving and the times were clearly good. It's good to get this victory before Rally Finland and I hope we can do a good job there too. »

“Rovanperä continues to surprise us every time” 

Perhaps even happier than Rovanperä himself, Jari-Matti Latvala, director of the Toyota team, is full of praise for his young driver. “Kalle continues to surprise us every time with what he can do. The conditions were extremely difficult, especially in the Power Stage… but the more difficult the conditions, the stronger Kalle seemed to be! » Just after the finish, the ex-driver even declared that Rovanperä “no longer needs to win rallies to be champion. »

The now seven-time rally winner also received thanks from Akio Toyoda, president of the Japanese brand. “Kalle, Jonne, congratulations on this fifth victory this season and this second victory in a row in Estonia! Last year, I congratulated Kalle on becoming the youngest winner in the history of the WRC. It's only been a year since that moment, but I've already celebrated his victories seven times. This makes me very happy and I really thank him. »

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