Finland’s new rally hero Rovanpera makes history
Whatever Kalle Rovanpera achieves in his rally career, this year’s Rally Estonia will be forever etched in his mind as the event where he truly announced himself on the World Rally Championship stage.
Rovanpera’s prodigious talent has been known for some time, and the son of former WRC rally winner Harri Rovanpera has been knocking on the door of the winners’ circle, but in Estonia his knocks were answered. The 20-year-old produced arguably the drive of his burgeoning career to date to claim a maiden WRC victory and in doing so became the youngest ever winner in the championship’s history.
At times Rovanpera was simply untouchable at the weekend, combining outrageous speed in his Toyota with controlled and measured drives to seal a dominant triumph across Estonia’s 24 fast and flowing gravel stages.
The event was something of a home round for Rovanpera given the Baltic nation is his place of residence, and he has grown up around these frighteningly fast jump-laden roads. Many were licking their lips at the prospect of Rovanpera going head to head with the most famous person in Estonia: Ott Tanak, the 2019 WRC champion and winner of Rally Estonia last year.
It’s hard to believe that Rally Estonia is only in its second year
