Rovanperä started his day by setting the fastest time on the opening test, but at times, the Toyota driver struggled through Friday’s stages. The new Hankook tyres posed a significant challenge.
“Other than that, everything’s fine, but it’s tough with the slicks. I don’t have the pace,” Rovanperä summarized.
“The pace on the slicks is definitely a big problem for me. With other tires, it’s OK. Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll have time to find the speed.”
Rovanperä ended the second day of the Rally Monte-Carlo in fourth place. He’s over half a minute behind his teammate Sebastien Ogier, who leads the event.
Rovanperä has a lot to think about if he wants to find more speed for Saturday’s stages.
“I can’t really be satisfied with how driving feels. There aren’t any clear spots where I could push harder. It’d be different if I was just taking it easy and knew where I could easily improve. But that’s not how it feels right now,” the Finnish driver admitted.
“There’s a big gap between where the pace should be and where it is. We’ll need to look into it. If I knew the answer, I’d have already made changes,” Rovanperä noted.
Conditions on Friday’s stages were extremely challenging. Mud and debris covered the asphalt roads, making them slippery. In some places, drivers encountered snow and ice as well.
Several drivers slid into the ditches during the day, but Rovanperä managed to keep his car on the road without any major incidents.
“Probably drove too slowly (since there were no incidents),” Rovanperä joked at his own expense.
The Rally Monte-Carlo continues on Saturday with six stages. Ogier leads his home rally with a 12.6-second advantage over his teammate Elfyn Evans. Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux is in third, just ahead of Rovanperä.
