Rovanperä’s season opener did not go as planned, as he had to retire from the rally on Friday. The world champion was able to continue the race on Saturday, and on the final day of the competition on Sunday, he scraped together 11 WRC points for himself and Toyota.
During the routine inspection at the finish of the Power Stage, it was noticed that there was one aspect of Rovanperä’s car that was against the rules: the fire extinguishing system’s control unit was not operational.
For this, Rovanperä was slapped with a fine of one thousand euros.
“The fire extinguishing system is a major safety item to protect the crew in case of fire in the car and it is essential for the crews’ safety,” the jury emphasized in its decision.
“Safety remains a key challenge and the FIA is committed to do everything possible to protect, among others, the crew.”
Rally Sweden ended in Finnish celebrations, as Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi drove to victory in Umeå. Toyota’s Elfyn Evans finished second, and M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux third.
The WRC series continues at the end of March in Kenya.
