The event based around Porto kicks off a run of seven consecutive gravel rallies in the WRC calendar. First up are three technical and hot gravel events in Southern Europe – Portugal, Sardinia and Greece.
Currently second in the championship standings, Rovanperä believes these upcoming rallies could be absolutely crucial in the title fight this season.
“Portugal and Greece are pretty good rallies for me. Sardinia is always difficult, so I think we need to really find a good and consistent pace to keep scoring good points on these rallies. Then it will just get, I think, tighter and tighter the more we go through the year,” Rovanperä said.
The Finnish driver has won twice before in Portugal, and he also has two wins to his name in the Acropolis Rally of Greece.
He particularly enjoys competing on the gravel roads of northern Portugal.
“I think it’s just the style of the stages, it’s really nice, I always enjoy them. It’s a lot about just driving and enjoying them – really technical stages,” Rovanperä said with a smile.
Rovanperä dominated the previous round of the season on the tarmac roads of Gran Canaria. However, things may not be as straightforward in Portugal, especially considering he struggled earlier in the year to find the right setup for the updated Rally1 car and the new Hankook tyres.
During the pre-event testing in Portugal, Rovanperä was asked directly whether he felt confident about fighting for the win. His answer was somewhat cautious.
“Yeah. Of course, I think today (in the test) we really need to do a good job to be fast in Portugal,” Rovanperä replied.
Read also: Worrying sign from Kalle Rovanperä ahead of Rally Portugal
Rally Portugal takes place from 15–18 May.
Watch the video of Rovanperä’s test in Portugal below!
