Toyota’s champion duo, Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen, will commence their season with Rally Sweden, which will be held from February 15-18.
Rovanperä and Halttunen have been conducting tests with an eye on Sweden this week and participated in the Arctic Rally at the beginning of February. In this respect, the tests don’t feel like a burden at all.
“Not really. We were already testing in Arctic Rally, so for me, it’s just a continuation of that,” Jonne Halttunen told RallyJournal.com.
Rovanperä announced at the end of last season that he would compete in only half of the series this year. It was clear from the beginning that the season would start on the snowy tracks of Sweden.
“Yes, and it’s damn enjoyable. Last week we were testing, but it felt like we were really racing and enjoying ourselves. Sweden is a nice rally, and now it feels like both the men and the cars are in top condition, so we can head into the race with a good feeling,” Halttunen said.
Arctic Rally was crucial for Rovanperä and Halttunen’s preparation, even though the race ended just short of completion.
“It served its purpose very well, and the organizers took good care of us. We were able to maintain and do all sorts of things well. I would say it hopefully had a significant impact,” Halttunen said.
Rovanperä is one of the favorites to win Rally Sweden. According to Halttunen, Rovanperä is worryingly in top form from the perspective of their competitors.
“Usually, you can tell by how effortless the driver’s racing is. When he goes into a curve, he doesn’t have to search for the line for long, nor does he need to make corrections. It seems to be going quite well now, and today he was satisfied with the car on the first run. It’s definitely a good indication,” Halttunen praised.
