Rovanperä undisputed winner of the Estonian Rally

Who can overcome Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) ? The Finn seems locked into first place in the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2022, like his victory during the Rally from Estonia this Sunday July 17 proved it once again.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver showed his muscles by winning a whopping 13 of the 24 special stages scheduled on Estonian soil. This is his fifth victory of the season; the son of Harry Rovanperä further establishes his authority in the championship, because he has almost double the points of his direct pursuer (Thierry Neuville).

Second as in Portugal and Kenya, Elfyn Evans (Toyota) once again admitted defeat. The Welshman was beaten consistently by his young Nordic teammate. This Rally reinforced the domination of Kalle Rovanperä over the outgoing double vice-champion, which should not reassure him about his future and his hopes of coronation.

It's a #GRYaris one-two at #RallyEstonia! 🙌@KalleRovanpera and @JonneHalttunen continues their amazing form with a fifth win in six rallies! 🏆 @ElfynEvans and @scottmartinat take P2 after a fantastic flat-out fight! 👏 #ToyotaGAZOORacing #WRC pic.twitter.com/DAizz3kqTS

- TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT (@TGR_WRC) July 17, 2022

On his land, Ott Tänak (Hyundai) must be satisfied with the last step of the podium. The Estonian watched from afar the semblance of a duel between the leading Toyotas. He can reassure himself by ahead of his teammate Thierry Neuville, handicapped by a foggy windshield during the Power Stage.

For his fifth participation in the Estonian Rally, Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) finally sees the finish line. The Japanese are on a good dynamic. Indeed, since the season opened at Monte-Carlo, the driver of the Yaris Rally1 hybrid has constantly scored points and finished in the top 8!

Watered Power Stage

In the Power Stage, contested under downpours of water, Esapekka Lappi (Toyota) stole 6th place from Adrien fourmaux (M-Sport Ford). The Frenchman's mission was to reach the finish line without incident; his teammates Gus Greensmith and Pierre-Louis Loubet retired on Sunday morning due to a broken transmission and suspension respectively.

This extremis overtake has no impact on the Manufacturers' Championship, as only Kalle Rovanperä and Elfyn Evans score points for Toyota in this general classification. M-Sport Ford scores an unchanged number of points.

In WRC2, Andreas Mikkelsen (Skoda) reassures himself with his first victory since Sweden this winter. The Norwegian, defending champion, has not scored a single point since February, and needed to get back on track in the defense of his crown. This was done at the Estonian Rally, as he could regain the lead in the championship.

Teemu suninen (Hyundai) must return to the service park with two working cylinders to confirm his second final position, which is not assured for the Finn.

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WRC Rally Estonia 2022 final standings:

Drivers Championship:

Manufacturers' Championship: