Rovanperä missed out on the podium in the first two rallies of the season. The Toyota star finished fourth in Monte Carlo and fifth in Sweden.
The reigning champion has had to adjust to Hankook’s new tyres as well as the updated Rally1 car, which no longer has a hybrid unit. However, Halttunen is certain that Rovanperä’s talent remains intact.
“I’m not worried at all. I’m sure we will start to find the pace soon. And Kalle hasn’t forgotten how to drive a rally car,” Halttunen told RallyJournal.com.
Rovanperä has repeatedly struggled to make the new Hankook tyres work with his driving style. His difficulties are reflected in the fact that he has managed only two fastest stage times in the opening two rounds.
Halttunen believes things will improve as the season progresses, and Hankook’s continued development may also bring relief.
“Hankook is constantly improving their tyres. They entered the championship on short notice, so their product is surely going to become more competitive over time.
“The positive thing is that there have been very few punctures. Clearly, they focused first on durability, and that will lead to better performance as well. I’m not worried about that,” Halttunen said.
Meanwhile, Rovanperä’s teammate Elfyn Evans has had no such struggles in the opening rounds. Evans finished second in Monte Carlo and won Rally Sweden.
The Welshman has already pulled away with a considerable gap in the standings. Among the full-season drivers, Rovanperä is Evans’ closest challenger, but the gap has already grown to 30 points.
Check out the full WRC standings here!
“I have to say, the new car and new tyres seem to suit Elfyn really well. He’s had a great start to the season, and now we have a good benchmark to measure against,” Halttunen reflected.
“It looks like these changes fit his driving style better than ours. We just need to find the right setup, and maybe Kalle also needs to adjust his driving style a little bit. But it’s not the easiest thing to suddenly change how you drive a rally car,” Halttunen pointed out.
The next WRC round takes place next week at Safari Rally Kenya.
