Kalle Rovanpera's Home WRC Quest Begins with Stellar Start

Kalle Rovanpera, the double world champion, took an early lead in his home WRC race in Finland, leaving competitors like Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux trailing. Amid challenging gravel stages, Rovanpera achieved the fastest times in multiple runs, despite the race being deemed excessively fast for comfort.

Kalle Rovanpera, the double world rally champion, has kicked off his quest for a first home victory with a formidable start in the Finland World Rally Championship. The Toyota driver finished the opening day's leg 4.9 seconds ahead of Hyundai's Thierry Neuville.

The highly competitive race saw only 15.7 seconds separating the top five racers, with Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux standing third, just 2.8 seconds behind his teammate Neuville. Toyota's Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari secured the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.

Rovanpera expressed mixed feelings about the day's performance, acknowledging it was far from comfortable but lauded the team's effort. Both Rovanpera and reigning champion Thierry Neuville remarked on the high speeds of the stages, agreeing it involved substantial risks.

(With inputs from agencies.)