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Kalle Rovanpera is beginning to unravel the nuances essential for speed on the new 2025 World Rally Championship tyres, showcasing his prowess by leading the Rally Islas Canarias after an impressive performance on Friday morning.
This two-time world champion had a rocky start to the season, grappling with the transition to the new Hankook tyres, which left him 57 points behind in the championship standings.
In a remarkable turnaround, the Toyota driver dominated Friday’s stages, winning all three held on smooth asphalt, and he currently leads eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier by 17.8 seconds. Elfyn Evans, the championship leader, rounds out the top three, trailing by an additional 2.4 seconds.
“It was definitely a good morning for us,” Rovanpera commented. “The car felt pretty normal; nothing too overly aggressive. On these roads, having a good flow is essential. Overdriving isn’t an option, and it appears the car is performing well.”
When asked about the changes that have contributed to his improved performance, he responded: “We’ve discovered some ideas and a direction with the car, notably with these new tyres, which seems to make the biggest difference.”
“In the Canary Islands, with the new stages and notes, I feel comfortable navigating the typically challenging twisty roads,” he added. “It’s a matter of getting the balance right, which we struggled with earlier this season. Our recent efforts have certainly led to improvements.”
Ogier acknowledged Rovanpera’s exceptional performance, stating that his teammate was “in a different league.” He admitted to having no answers to match Rovanpera’s pace, despite his own satisfactory performance. “It’s been an okay morning for me, but I’m still not fully content with the car’s balance or the new tyre dynamics. We’re exploring adjustments for the afternoon stages,” Ogier remarked.
Challenges for Hyundai
While Toyota secured the top three positions, Hyundai faced significant challenges, struggling to match the pace of their rivals. The team is currently puzzled by their performance deficit compared to the efficient Japanese squad.
Adrien Fourmaux managed to secure a fourth-place finish, 34.2 seconds off the lead. However, teammates Ott Tanak and Thierry Neuville finished further back in eighth and ninth, respectively, with gaps of 42.9 and 45.4 seconds. Both drivers expressed disbelief at their inability to harness speed from their upgraded 2025 i20 N Rally1 cars.
Neuville cited severe understeer, stating, “The car is missing everything; it’s inhibiting our ability to drive fast and attack corners.” He had demonstrated strong speed during the Rally Sierra Morena test earlier this month but now finds himself in a challenging position. “I don’t know if there’s a clear solution right now, and I doubt anyone does. I will try to remain calm, though this level of struggle isn’t completely unexpected,” he mentioned.
Tanak echoed his teammate’s frustrations, noting that understeer was a major hurdle, with his car overworking the front tyres. “We have an idea of the issue, but understanding why it’s amplified in this upgraded chassis compared to the previous model is still eluding us,” he explained. “The times we’re producing indicate we are quite far from the solution.”
Hyundai’s technical director, Francois-Xavier Demaison, added, “It is surprising because just two weeks ago during tests in southern Spain, things seemed to be functioning well. We might have been overly confident post-rally. There’s something not aligning here.”
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