At just 23 years old, Rovanperä has won everything possible in rallying, but he is still missing the top spot in his home event, the Rally Finland. Rovanperä has competed in a top-class car in Jyväskylä three times, with his best finish being second place in 2022. The other two attempts ended in retirements.
The cool-headed Finnish star refuses to take on pressure from his home rally, even though the roadsides will be filled with his fans, friends, and family members.
“I haven’t managed to get the very best result on Rally Finland but I don’t want to place any extra stress on achieving that. I just want to treat it like any other rally and try to do my best.”
It is clear, however, that the double champion is set for another great weekend. With two consecutive wins in the World Rally Championship, his confidence is certainly high.
“Every year, Rally Finland is quite a special occasion. Of course, it’s our home rally and one of the nicest events to do with lots of fans and family around. It’s always exciting and the stages are really nice but quite demanding also,” Rovanperä says.
“Having legendary roads like Ouninpohja on the schedule this year will be amazing. Our approach and our target will be like on every rally we’ve done this year: try to do the best job we can to fight for the win and bring good points for the team.”
The Rally Finland starts on Thursday evening with the legendary Harju city special stage. The competition concludes on Sunday.
