This year, Rovanperä is only competing in half of the World Rally Championship season, giving him time to indulge in other hobbies. This weekend, he is dabbling in his second sport, drifting, in Japan.
The Finnish star showed at the opening event of the Formula Drift Japan series that he hadn’t just come to have fun in the land of the rising sun.
Rovanperä scored an impressive 92 points on his first run, but he outdid himself on his second attempt with an even higher score: 96 points.
The maximum score in the qualifying rounds is exactly one hundred.
Last year, Rovanperä took part in two Formula Drift races in Japan, securing one win and one second place. This time, he is aiming for victory again, at the helm of a Toyota GR Corolla.
Rovanperä was long in the lead during the qualifiers, but ultimately Hiroya Minowa edged ahead, scoring 98 points from his second qualifying performance.
The tandem battles of the Fuji competition will be held on Sunday.
