The two-time world champion, making the first start of his part-time 2024 WRC campaign, lit up the timing screens on the first of 18 snow stages - Umea Sprint, 5.16km.
Rovanpera, starting seventh on the road, posted a time 1.4s faster than Toyota team-mate Takamoto Katsuta.
“It is always ok when the time is on that side of the clock,” said Rovanpera. “This is always tricky as it is icy, so it is tough to find the grip.”
Toyota enjoyed a 1-2-3 on the first super special stage held under lights. Elfyn Evans, starting second on the road, clocked the third fastest time 0.6s adrift of Rovanpera’s pace. The Welshman felt he wasn’t brave enough in the slippery conditions.
Hyundai’s Ott Tanak and M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux posted identical times to sit tied fourth 2.1s off.
Tanak’s run wasn’t the most comfortable for the 2019 world champion, as he said: “It was a clean drive, just on the first braking, my nut got caught on the other side of the belt, so it was bit painful.”
Source: Autosport