According to Toyota, Rovanperä’s retirement was due to a technical problem. Before the final stage, Evans was almost a minute behind the Finnish star, leaving no doubt about who was the fastest driver in the event.
“From my perspective, there’s still something missing in terms of performance. There’s work to be done, but still, it was a good rally in preparation for Rally Sweden,” Evans told RallyJournal.com.
“This weekend was very useful. It’s always good to be able to drive in these conditions before the rally in Sweden. From that perspective, all is well, but I must admit there’s still work to do with my driving. I’m not yet comfortable with the car, although we made significant improvements during the race. Hopefully, we can improve on this in next week’s tests.”
Evans couldn’t precisely pinpoint the cause of the lack of speed in the Arctic Circle.
“There are different areas where I’m still lost with the car. In some conditions, it feels good, but then if the condition changes, it becomes difficult. That seems to be the problem with this car on snow,” the Welshman pondered.
In Rally Sweden, Evans will be the second car on the road, which could be a disadvantage. He admits his expectations are not overly high.
“I’m not very confident at the moment. However, we have to remember that we’re starting second on the road. It’s never easy. Especially when strong competitors are coming from behind,” Evans said.
“It’s not the easiest starting position, but we always do our utmost to get the best possible result.”
Evans had high praise for the audience in Rovaniemi.
“This is a fantastic rally, and the stages are brilliant. There was a lot of spectators, so it seems like the Finnish Rally Championship is doing well.”
