Croatia – SS1: Rovanperä gets off to a good start

The championship leader is there! Despite the rain and his opening position, Kalle Rovanperä had no trouble dominating his comrades during SS1 of the Rally from Croatia. On the wet Croatian roads, the Finn gave his rivals no chance by posting a time of 12'44″6. A time which was never beaten subsequently or even approached.

Alone Thierry Neuville hoped to get closer to Kalle Rovanperä but the Belgian ultimately finished 4″1 behind the Finn who went it alone in this SS1. Behind, the gaps were greater since Craig Breen, 3rd, was relegated to 13 seconds and Ott Tänak at 16″2. The others were all pushed back to more than 20 seconds and some beyond a minute!

Note the presence of the French Yohann Rossel and Stéphane Lefebvre in the Top 10. They are 9th and 10th respectively.