Returning as a full-season driver, Rovanperä clocked the second-fastest time on the shakedown. However, he expressed concern that the conditions could work against him at the start of the rally.
After his first run, Rovanperä noted that a significant amount of dirt had been dragged onto the road before his turn. Starting seventh on the stage, he will maintain the same starting position for the first nine stages of the rally on Thursday and Friday.
“There’s been a lot of rain on all the stages today, and tomorrow it will keep raining until midday. Even if the roads dry up, the cuts will still be wet. At our starting position, we’ll definitely suffer from that. The road slows down car by car,” Rovanperä told RallyJournal.com
In addition to the challenging conditions, Rovanperä and other WRC drivers face a steep learning curve with tyre strategy. Hankook takes over as the WRC’s tyre supplier this year, and drivers have limited experience with the South Korean manufacturer’s tyres.
“There’s a lot to learn with the new tyres. Even now, we noticed that if you start with ‘supersoft’ tyres in these conditions, you can’t get them to the right temperature,” Rovanperä observed.
“It’s a tricky tyre to drive with in cold, wet, and muddy conditions – it feels very slippery all the time.”
Beyond tyres, Rally1 cars have undergone a significant change this season. Hybrid units have been removed, reducing the cars’ power compared to previous seasons. However, the cars are now lighter as a result.
Rovanperä believes these changes could have a major impact on this year’s championship battle.
“The tyres are the biggest unknown, and it’ll come down to who learns them the fastest. The car is a bit lighter, and the feeling is different without the hybrid. I think there’ll be differences in how teams and drivers adapt to the car and tyres, especially early in the season,” Rovanperä speculated.
Monte Carlo has never been one of Rovanperä’s favourite rallies. The Finnish star has yet to win the classic event and hasn’t set that as his goal this year either.
For Rovanperä, the priority is to secure a solid start to the season, which could serve as a springboard toward his third world championship.
“A podium is always good, but finishing in the top four with strong points from Sunday would also be a good result. If we can have a clean week and a good feeling, we can start pushing for proper results in Sweden,” Rovanperä planned.
