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Kalle Rovanpera Reflects on Monte Carlo Performance
Kalle Rovanpera characterized his fourth-place finish at the Monte Carlo Rally as “not a total disaster” as he embarks on his quest for a third World Rally Championship title. Despite not favoring this particular event, Rovanpera found himself grappling with the performance issues related to Hankook’s slick tyres.
After the opening day of the rally, the Finnish driver occupied the sixth position and acknowledged the necessity of adapting his driving style to the new tyre specifications introduced for 2025. By Sunday, Rovanpera made strides in his performance, benefiting from a strategic tyre selection amid variable weather conditions, which propelled him to a second-place finish on Super Sunday. He also managed to snatch fourth place away from Hyundai’s Ott Tanak.
Though Rovanpera concluded the rally 54.3 seconds behind his Toyota teammate Sebastien Ogier, the two-time world champion expressed a more positive outlook than he initially expected. Given that Ogier is participating in a limited season, Rovanpera now sits eight points behind the effective championship leader, Elfyn Evans, who finished as runner-up at Monte Carlo.
“In the end, at least I managed to secure some decent points,” Rovanpera conveyed to Autosport. “A good tyre choice and a successful Sunday helped us gain important points, so overall it has not been a total disaster.”
He continued, “We certainly learned a lot and made some minor adjustments to the car on Sunday. It was our first time using the slicks with the new characteristics, and I believe we could have performed better throughout the weekend, but it was beneficial to discover these aspects.”
Rovanpera recognized the challenges of adapting his driving style in real-time during a rally. “Of course, I tried to adjust my technique to the tyre differences, but it’s not easy when you’re racing. You also require support from the car to help facilitate those adjustments.”
Looking ahead, Rovanpera is gearing up for the upcoming Rally Sweden next month, where he is anticipated to be a leading contender. The 24-year-old previously triumphed on the snowy terrain in Sweden back in 2022, a victory that marked the beginning of his successful pursuit of a maiden WRC title.
Source
www.autosport.com