Central Europe - Kalle Rovanperä a few stages away from a 2nd title

While the rest of the 2nd stage is already underway, the Finnish driver is gradually getting closer to the 2023 crown. If his chances are greater than ever, Kalle still prefers to remain cautious.

Published on 28/10/2023 à 16:13

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Central Europe – Kalle Rovanperä a few stages away from a 2nd title

Kalle Rovanperä knows what he has to do to win a second consecutive title (Photo: Nikos Katikis/DPPI)

Was the 2023 championship played out in a barn door on special stage No. 11? It was indeed there, after a right turn apparently no more complicated than any other, that Elfyn Evans went to smash the cooling system of his Toyota Yaris Rally and interrupt your day. By doing this, he opened the door for Kalle Rovanperä.

« I got the information regarding Elfyn's exit on the starting line, said the championship leader at the stage break. We immediately adopted a different rhythm. It wasn't that difficult, as you just had to drive much more gently than before. Even if it's sad for Elfyn and Scott (Martin Evans' co-pilot), I was not unhappy to be able to take my foot off the gas. We had a big scare in the previous SS and I didn't really know what to expect for the next one. »

Abandoning the leadership chair to Thierry Neuville, Rovanperä chose to let himself slide towards the finish. Given his lead in the championship, the latter could afford to try to compete for victory at Neuville in order to win the crown with panache, but that is not at all his intentions. “ It is not finished yet, he asserted. It won't be official until after the Power Stage. I mainly focus on the title. For this, there is no reason to try crazy things. »

The only scenario that could prevent Kalle Rovanperä from retaining his trophy would involve him dropping out and Evans scoring points in the final time. The chances of this happening are minimal, but the probable future double world champion is determined to further reduce the possibilities.