Rovanpera: WRC Rally Sardinia is “per chance the trickiest for me”

The defending world champion is leading the standings heading into this weekend’s Italian round, but will face a monumental characterize to repeat the drought-breaking victory he scored in Portugal final month.

Sitting atop the standings will mean Rovanpera will be disadvantaged by avenue cleansing on Sardinia’s tough and dusty roads.

The 22-year-used also has overtly admitted that this event is arguably a rally he has found basically the most refined. Rovanpera has easiest accomplished for the length of the selections in one of three WRC high-tier makes an try, alongside with his most productive result being fifth in final year’s model.

“Portugal used to be a big weekend for us and it used to be nice to salvage a victory all another time,” said Rovanpera.

“We can are trying and proceed like this in the next events but we know that Sardinia will be a technique more refined job.

“Of the entire rallies in the calendar, I have confidence this one has per chance been the trickiest for me, and if the climate is dry and scorching prefer it always is in Sardinia, will potentially be very refined to be the first automobile on the avenue there; per chance even more so this year with the 50-kilometre stage to be pushed on Friday.

“This may possibly well possibly possibly be a tense weekend but, like repeatedly, we are able to push at the side of the team to salvage the ideal result that we can.”

Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Portray by: McKlein / Motorsport Photos

Likewise, Toyota has previously struggled on tough gravel rallies with Sardinia one of two events the set up the team did now not rating a podium final year. On the different hand, making improvements to the GR Yaris for these events has been a key fragment of the auto’s pattern this year.

The work looks to be bearing fruit as Toyota has obtained four of the five rallies so far, including gravel rounds in Mexico (Sebastien Ogier) and Portugal (Rovanpera).

“Closing year this event used to be moderately of a struggle but since then now we beget made many improvements to the GR Yaris for tough gravel prerequisites, which beget worked successfully in Mexico and in Portugal,” said Toyota WRC team major Jari-Matti Latvala.

“Incessantly, Sardinia is hotter than Portugal, and this year on Friday the Monte Lerno stage will be nearly 50 kilometres in size; it hasn’t been that long since 2014, and on the 2nd pass seriously I’m obvious tyre administration will play a necessary characteristic.

“It plan Kalle may possibly well possibly moreover pay a immense penalty for desiring to originate the avenue on this event, but we are able to beget Sebastien and Elfyn [Evans] in greater positions and confidently they’ve the opportunity to challenge for victory.”