However, with three events now completed, the Finn can no longer truly be regarded as a front-runner for the championship. Rovanperä is currently only sixth in the drivers’ standings and already trails his team-mate and series leader Elfyn Evans by 57 points.
There’s still a long way to go in the season, but it’s already clear that Rovanperä can no longer afford what are commonly called “zero-point rallies” if he wants to seriously challenge for his third world title.
Rovanperä’s fellow countryman Teemu Suninen doesn’t mince words, stating plainly that Rovanperä’s start to the season has been a disappointment.
“We haven’t really seen the best Kalle so far. He maybe hasn’t quite adapted to the new things, and more was expected from him,” Suninen told RallyJournal.com.
Rovanperä himself has admitted that the WRC’s new Hankook tyres don’t suit his natural driving style. The removal of hybrid units from Rally1 cars this season could also be playing a role.
Still, Suninen isn’t ready to rule Rovanperä out of the title fight just yet.
“I still have faith in Kalle, as long as everything starts to click into place. He hasn’t forgotten how to drive the car,” Suninen reassures.
“Let’s hope he finds that good feeling again, the one he had over the past couple of years.”
While Rovanperä has struggled with the changes, his team-mate Evans has managed to capitalise on them fully.
“That could be the case, but I think it’s more about the bigger picture. I wouldn’t start pointing fingers solely at Hankook or the hybrid situation. Those two things could certainly be contributing factors, but there might be bigger issues in the background,” Suninen reckons.
