Even before the event, Rovanperä expected that Hankook’s new winter tyres wouldn’t suit his natural driving style at all. That prediction has proven true, as he has struggled to find top-level speed throughout the rally.
However, Saturday was a much better day for the Finn compared to Friday. He even managed to set a stage-winning time, but despite the improvement, he was never able to fight for victory.
“A better day than yesterday, that’s for sure. At least we had some pace on certain sections. We’re heading in the right direction,” Rovanperä summed up his Saturday.
Rovanperä sits in fifth place with only three stages remaining. He trails the leader by 22.9 seconds – a gap that leaves no room for unrealistic hopes.
“The gap is too big to close in just three stages. Of course, we have other drivers close by, so we just have to push tomorrow,” Rovanperä said.
“There are a lot of points on offer tomorrow, so we’ll try to get as many as possible. The gaps ahead and behind are small, so we need to have a strong day,” he added.
Sunday’s route includes two runs of the nearly 30-kilometre Västervik stage, which has suited Rovanperä well in the past.
“We need to push hard to stay in the overall fight, and anything we gain beyond that is a bonus. Last year, we were fast on the long stage, so we’ll try to do the same tomorrow,” he previewed.
However, Rovanperä admitted outright that he is no longer realistically fighting for victory. Catching Thierry Neuville, who is ahead in fourth place, also seems extremely difficult.
“If everything goes perfectly, then it’s possible, but that would require us to be a lot faster. It would mean that everything goes right for us and not for Neuville. The roads here are so fast that making big gains is difficult. If we don’t close the gap on the first stage, then it’s impossible. At least reaching the overall lead seems out of the question,” Rovanperä assessed.
Hankook’s new winter tyre has been a source of frustration for Rovanperä all weekend, and he still had little positive to say about them on Saturday evening.
“On the first loop in the morning, in technical sections, they were okay. But the other two stages were fast roads, and there’s still work to do there. It’s just normal driving, but in basic corners, I have to fight a lot. When the car understeers, you easily lose seconds. The driving isn’t smooth or optimal,” Rovanperä admitted.
Still, he feels he has learned something about the tyres.
“Maybe I’ve picked up a little about them. I wouldn’t say you can learn that much, but I’ve tried to understand how to drive with them. It just doesn’t seem to click in my head,” he said in frustration.
