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Kalle Rovanpera’s Safari Rally Disappointment
Kalle Rovanpera’s hopes of scoring points at the Safari Rally in Kenya came to an abrupt end as he was forced to retire on the final day of the event. The two-time World Rally Champion faced a challenging rally, ultimately leaving the competition without any championship points.
Rovanpera, along with his co-driver Jonne Halttunen, had shown promise with a strong performance early Sunday, finishing third in the 17th stage, known as Mzabibu, just 3.7 seconds behind Hyundai’s Ott Tanak. However, their momentum was short-lived as they encountered a technical issue that prevented them from participating in the subsequent stage.
The duo was spotted attempting roadside repairs on their Toyota GR Yaris, which had reportedly suffered from a suspected alternator failure. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain, leading to their retirement while sitting in fifth place.
“Sadly it’s game over for us as we are forced to retire after the first stage of the morning with a technical issue,” Rovanpera expressed in a social media post.
This retirement marks a significant moment for Rovanpera, as it is the first time he has not finished the Safari Rally since it returned to the World Rally Championship in 2021. He previously secured wins in 2022 and 2024, along with a second-place finish in 2023 and a sixth in 2021.
After facing challenges throughout the weekend, Rovanpera acknowledged on Saturday night that he was in dire need of solid points from Sunday. He entered the day only 7.7 seconds behind his teammate and championship rival, Elfyn Evans, who was in the lead.
However, a series of punctures and a collision with a rock on Saturday resulted in significant damage to the left-rear suspension of Rovanpera’s vehicle, which dropped him to fifth place, trailing Evans by over six minutes.
With this retirement, Rovanpera now faces a considerable uphill battle in his quest for championship points. He had begun the rally 30 points behind the leader Evans, who has maintained an impressive performance this season amidst challenges, including adapting to the new Hankook tyres introduced for 2025.
Toyota’s prospects remained strong as the team aimed to uphold their unbeaten streak in the Safari Rally since its return, with Evans leading the charge against Hyundai’s Tanak by 1 minute and 38.3 seconds, even with two stages remaining.
Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, who excelled in the Super Sunday rankings, secured a third-place spot, while Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta managed to hold on to fourth after nearly going off-road during stage 18. Sami Pajari from Toyota inherited fifth place due to Rovanpera’s retirement.
Looking Ahead
As the championship progresses, Rovanpera will need to regroup and strategize how to recover from this setback. The road ahead is challenging, but his resilience and past performances suggest he will remain a formidable contender in the upcoming rallies.
Source
www.motorsport.com