Top Performer - Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen
While Kalle Rovanpera refused to call his Rally Portugal performance the best of his career to date, it should rank among the finest. On Portugal’s mix of rough and fast gravel stages, Rovanpera and co-driver Jonne Halttunen rekindled the magic that saw them dominate the 2022 season.
Portugal has become renowned for its rough, puncture-inducing roads, but it was no problem for the world champion. Rovanpera produced a faultless and stunning drive to dominate the event, winning by 54.7s from Hyundai’s Dani Sordo.
Ten wins from 19 stages, and going 12.8s faster than anyone else on stage nine, underlined his speed. But the manner of the victory, starting from second on the road, mustn’t be forgotten in this performance.
It seems absurd that the Finn had been absent from the WRC podium since finishing second at the January season opener in Monte Carlo. An even more remarkable statistic is that last weekend’s win was his first for seven months, since he became the youngest ever champion after winning Rally New Zealand last October.
Rovanpera’s mesmerising drives raised the bar last year, creating an expectations of him. However, this year the game has changed. Toyota’s car advantage is not what it once was, as Hyundai has made developments while Ott Tanak has now given M-Sport a lift.
Source: Autosport