A dominant display by Toyota saw Kalle Rovanperä leading a GR Yaris 1-2 podium finish over the weekend in the WRC Estonia. The Finn is now 83 points ahead of Belgian Neuville with only six rounds to go for the season.
Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen have now won their fifth championship race of the season and in doing so extended their points tally to 175 with six rounds remaining for the season. The Finnish driver managed to impress compatriot and Toyota World Rally Championship boss Jari-Matti Latvala after he stated that Rovanperä was “on another planet” during the WRC Estonia round.
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Evans initially dominated the WRC Estonia round but once the rain had soaked the speed test, his Finn teammate managed to reel in some competition with seven consecutive fastest times. Evans spun on Saturday night losing almost 10 seconds which played comfortably into the hands of Rovanperä for the rain affected closing Sunday stage too.
See the WRC Estonia standings here.
The young 21-year-old displayed a masterclass in the slippery conditions which saw him finish a minute sooner than Welsh teammate Elfyn Evans. The last stage of the round was described by countryman Esapekka Lappi as the “craziest stage” he has ever driven, compliments of the wet surface. In winning, the young talent has emerged as a wet weather master after managing the same temperament in torrid conditions during the rounds in Croatia, Portugal and Kenya as well.
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Toyota Gazoo Racing’s manufacturers’ points lead now stands at 87 after the double podium. The win signals twelve months since Rovanperä became the WRC’s youngest rally winner with victory in Estonia last year too. The competition will head across the frigid Gulf of Finland for the Secto Rally Finland which will be based in Jyväskylä between the 4th and 7th of August.
