Emulating father the motivation for Rovanpera’s Ouninpohja WRC heroics
Kalle Rovanpera says posting a fast time on the World Rally Championship’s famous Ouninpohja stage to mirror his father Harri Rovanpera was the motivation behind his stunning effort. The two-time world champion dominated Saturday at Rally Finland, winning five of the day’s six stages to open up a 44.2s lead over Toyota team-mate Sebastien Ogier […]
Rovanpera overcomes penalty to claim maiden circuit race win
Kalle Rovanpera overcame a jump start penalty to claim a maiden circuit race win in only his fourth start in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux series at Imola. The two-time world rally champion, contesting a partial campaign in the one-make Porsche series, completed an impressive lights-to-flag victory from pole, but was made to work hard […]
Rovanpera yet to realise enormity of super-sub WRC Poland victory
Kalle Rovanpera says it will take time to realise the enormity of his latest World Rally Championship victory in Poland as a last-minute replacement with limited preparation. Toyota’s reigning world champion was drafted in to replace Sebastien Ogier for the gravel rally after the eight-time world champion escaped serious injury in a road traffic crash […]
‘Supersub’ Rovanpera’s WRC champions drive surpassed Toyota’s expectations
Kalle Rovanpera surpassed Toyota’s expectations by delivering a world rally champion’s performance to lead Rally Poland after limited event preparation as a last-minute substitute for Sebastien Ogier. Rovanpera was servicing his jet ski on Tuesday when he received the call to stand in for Ogier after the eight-time world champion was ruled out of the […]
The big challenge facing Rovanpera after going from jet ski to WRC Rally Poland
Kalle Rovanpera expects to face a “big challenge” to prepare for Rally Poland after receiving a last-minute call up to replace Sebastien Ogier while he was repairing his jet ski. Toyota has drafted in Rovanpera and co-driver Jonne Halttunen to pilot the team’s third GR Yaris in Poland, which returns to the World Rally Championship […]
WRC champion Rovanpera narrowly misses podium on circuit racing debut
The reigning two-time champion is dovetailing a partial WRC campaign with a four-round stint in the one-make Porsche series this year, with this weekend’s visit to the Dutch Grand Prix venue marking the start of his circuit racing career. The factory Toyota WRC driver finished fourth and fifth from a field of 23 cars, driving […]
The petrolhead obsession that drives WRC champion Rovanpera
Rallying, circuit racing, drifting and starring in a hip-hop video are all activities in Kalle Rovanpera’s 2024 ‘gap year’ calendar. It’s fair to say life is pretty good at the moment for the reigning two-time World Rally champion, who has rewritten the record books. The common denominator that links all of these pursuits together, even […]
WRC champion Rovanpera set for circuit racing debut
The two-time world champion is expanding his motorsport horizons this year following a decision to conduct a part-time WRC campaign with Toyota. Rovanpera announced plans in February to contest four of the six Carrera Cup Benelux rounds, with the first outing arriving at Zandvoort – the home of the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix. The […]
Rovanpera explains WRC Portugal exit from the lead
The Toyota driver started the Saturday morning loop setting a blistering pace that resulted in a stage 10 win to open up a 6.7s lead over team-mate and fellow 2024 part-time driver Sebastien Ogier. However, Rovanpera’s rally quickly came undone on stage 11 [Montim, 8.69km] when the Finn lost the rear of his GR Yaris […]