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

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

Sitting atop the standings will indicate Rovanpera will seemingly be disadvantaged by avenue cleaning on Sardinia’s rough and dusty roads.

The 22-one year-broken-down moreover has openly admitted that this occasion is arguably a rally he has came throughout the most advanced. Rovanpera has handiest performed for the period of the facets in a single in all three WRC high-tier makes an strive, alongside with his best result being fifth in last one year’s edition.

“Portugal change into once a immense weekend for us and it change into once good to construct up a victory all but again,” said Rovanpera.

“We can strive to continue admire this within the next events but we know that Sardinia will seemingly be a grand more advanced job.

“Of all of the rallies within the calendar, I deem this one has possibly been the trickiest for me, and if the climate is dry and hot admire it on the final is in Sardinia, it would possibly possibly possibly well possibly be very advanced to be the first automotive on the avenue there; possibly grand more so this one year with the 50-kilometre stage to be driven on Friday.

“This would possibly possibly possibly well possibly be a traumatic weekend but, admire consistently, we can push alongside with the personnel to construct up the suitable result that we are able to.”

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

Checklist by: McKlein / Motorsport Photos

Likewise, Toyota has previously struggled on rough gravel rallies with Sardinia one in all two events where the personnel failed to score a podium last one year. Nonetheless, enhancing the GR Yaris for these events has been a key segment of the automotive’s pattern this one year.

The work appears to be like to be bearing fruit as Toyota has obtained four of the five rallies to this point, alongside with gravel rounds in Mexico (Sebastien Ogier) and Portugal (Rovanpera).

“Final one year this occasion change into once a exiguous of a battle but since then now we accumulate got made many enhancements to the GR Yaris for rough gravel prerequisites, which accumulate worked well in Mexico and in Portugal,” said Toyota WRC personnel main Jari-Matti Latvala.

“On the final, Sardinia is hotter than Portugal, and this one year on Friday the Monte Lerno stage will seemingly be nearly 50 kilometres in length; it hasn’t been that long since 2014, and on the 2nd cross especially I am obvious tyre management will play a vital role.

“It methodology Kalle would possibly possibly well pay a colossal penalty for needing to birth the avenue on this occasion, but we can accumulate Sebastien and Elfyn [Evans] in better positions and confidently they’ve the chance to scenario for victory.”