Kalle Rovanpera kick-started his 2025 World Rally Championship marketing campaign with some of the dominant victories of his profession at Rally Islas Canarias.
Two-time world champions Rovanpera and co-driver delivered a masterclass on Gran Canaria’s clean asphalt mountain roads, successful 14 of the 18 levels. The efficiency culminated in a primary victory of the season by 53.5 seconds from Toyota team-mate and eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier.
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“It’s fairly superb. It has not been one of the best begin to the season however actually in this sort of circumstances we’re again now,” stated Rovanpera.
Toyota dominated the occasion, making its WRC debut, with factors chief [+1m17.1s] and [+2m02.9s] finishing a 1-2-3-4 for the Japanese producer, whereas rivals Hyundai endured a disastrous rally.
Rovanpera was not among the many pre-event favourites following his struggles in adapting to the new-for-2025 Hankook tyres. Nonetheless, in Gran Canaria every little thing appeared to click on as Rovanpera discovered himself in a zone the place he may reel off stage win after stage win, while not having to take pointless dangers.
The Finn loved a run of 12 consecutive quickest occasions by Friday and Saturday with the streak coming to finish within the tremendous particular stage 13, which featured a blast across the CB Gran Canaria basketball courtroom.
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Rovanpera took a forty five.2s lead over Ogier into Sunday’s closing 5 levels, the place he was overwhelmed once more on stage 16 and 17, earlier than sealing a primary victory since September final yr in fashion by successful the Energy Stage. Consequently, Rovanpera took the utmost 35 factors on supply by topping the Tremendous Sunday standings.
Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1Red Bull Content material Pool
Crimson Bull Content material Pool
Ogier, famend for his tempo on asphalt, was outclassed by Rovanpera all through. The Frenchman, making his first WRC look since successful January’s spherical in Monte Carlo, admitted he was not as sturdy on Hankook’s new arduous compound tyre as his team-mate. Ogier did, nonetheless, lastly beat Rovanpera to an outright stage win on stage 17.
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Evans was unable to match the velocity of Rovanpera and Ogier however produced a strong drive to assert a beneficial third, sustaining his file of ending on the rostrum in each spherical to this point this yr. The Welshman managed to increase his championship result in 43 factors as Rovanpera moved from sixth to second within the standings.
Hyundai underestimated the problem of the asphalt rally and had been unable to unlock the required arrange on all three of its i20 N Rally1 vehicles, which had been pushed by , and , to problem Toyota. Hyundai declared Saturday and Sunday’s working as a glorified check session in a bid to determine the issues with its 2025 automobile on tarmac.
Fourmaux emerged as one of the best of the trio having run a unique differential in comparison with his team-mates. The Frenchman ran as excessive as fourth on Friday earlier than arrange tweaks despatched his automobile’s dealing with within the flawed route and down the order on Saturday morning.
The Hyundai driver was capable of bounce again, however was left to rue one other arrange mistake on Sunday. It didn’t forestall him from ending as the highest Hyundai in fifth [+2m31.0s]. Fourmaux inherited the place after Toyota’s crashed out of the working in stage 12 stopping a possible Toyota 1-2-3-4-5, such was the model’s dominance.
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Neuville was on track to complete sixth earlier than a entrance left puncture within the penultimate stage dropped the world champion to seventh behind Tanak, who underwent an engine change on Saturday night time. Neuville then salvaged a degree from the Energy Stage.
Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Crew Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Crew Hyundai i20 N Rally1Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport
Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport
M-Sport-Ford additionally struggled to unearth a powerful arrange on the roads of Gran Canaria. Rally1 rookie Josh McErlean had rounded out the highest 10 heading into Sunday earlier than crashing out within the morning’s opening stage. Crew-mate recovered from an off on Saturday to complete eleventh.
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Yohan Rossel clinched victory within the WRC2 class ending eighth general forward of native hero Alejandro Cachon and Nikolay Gryazin, who rounded out the highest 10.
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