Rovanperä won Rally Finland at the beginning of August and at the same time rose to second place in the drivers’ championship, only three points behind his team-mate Elfyn Evans.
Rovanperä managed to overcome the problems that had plagued him all season with Hankook tyres and his driving style, and in Finland he was ultimately quite dominant.
Although Rovanperä’s season has been difficult, the Finn has nevertheless been able to steadily pick up points throughout. Now it is paying him back.
Rovanperä has said that he now has an idea of how he can be fast enough. The statement is of course promising and significantly boosts the Finn’s stock in this season’s title fight.
Toyota’s team principal Jari-Matti Latvala believes that Rovanperä can this season challenge for the third championship of his career.
“Looking at the points, he is only three points behind the leader, so the chances are pretty good,” Latvala said.
Latvala also considers the overall championship fight in the World Rally Championship to be very interesting. The top four are covered by 13 points. Behind Evans and Rovanperä, Sébastien Ogier and Hyundai’s Ott Tänak are only 13 points adrift of the lead.
“Four drivers are really close to each other in points. It is really interesting for the championship,” Latvala enthused.
Next, the WRC title battle continues at the end of August in Paraguay. The South American tour will then continue in mid-September in Chile.
