Toyota, based in Jyväskylä, claimed a historic top-five lockout on its home roads led by Kalle Rovanperä. Never before in Rally Finland has any car manufacturer managed even a 1-2-3 finish.
A top-five sweep in the World Rally Championship has only happened once before. In Portugal in 1990, Lancia occupied the top five positions, headed by Miki Biasion. Kankkunen was also part of that feat, finishing third.
“The gaps were a bit bigger there. I remember it vaguely. You can’t have a more perfect weekend than this. If it takes another 35 years for the next top-five, I doubt I’ll be around to see it,” Kankkunen beamed.
“Of course, Hyundai had outrageously bad luck. That happens sometimes and it could strike anyone. The boys all drove superbly and finished within a minute of each other. You can only admire that.”
Many have doubted Rovanperä’s performance level after a difficult season. The Finnish star has struggled all year on gravel with Hankook’s new tyres, but on the special stages of Central Finland, he found the confidence he needed.
“Kalle was in a class of his own. The skill has always been there; it hasn’t disappeared. I’m sure he’ll be a tough one to beat in many rallies towards the end of the season. I was never in doubt. I already knew before the rally that if everything works, the others would have to push hard,” Kankkunen summed up.
“It was a working man’s victory. Kalle even smiled a few times. At first, I wondered if he was laughing at me, but he was just pleased that everything went well. He slightly adjusted his driving style, but with that tyre, you have to. You can’t drive as cleanly as Kalle usually does. You have to just give it a good go and hope the road is wide enough.”
Toyota had plenty to worry about on the final stage, as Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans were battling for third place. In the end, Ogier secured the third step of the podium behind Rovanperä and Takamoto Katsuta, with a margin of three seconds.
“I don’t know if it was that exciting. Two professionals like that know their pace, and since they had already driven the stage once, a professional knows what he’s doing. They drove it brilliantly. You shouldn’t interfere with that. It just breaks the rhythm and leads to more mistakes.”
