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Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Kalle Rovanpera has admitted to feeling a sense of “surprise” having collected such a healthy haul of points on the latest round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
Rovanpera managed to extend his lead in the title race by finishing third overall and collecting a full quota of bonus points on the Power Stage after three drama-filled days on the Italian island.
Traditionally played out on bone dry gravel tracks, rain turned these muddy from Friday afternoon on and meant the young Finn was able to capitalise on this, especially on the opening day’s mammoth ‘Monte Lerno’ stage; in the space of 49km, he produced a masterful drive to climb three places to fourth.
The retirement of team-mate and four-time Rally Italia Sardegna winner Sebastien Ogier on Saturday’s penultimate stage lifted him into the top three where he stayed for the remainder of the event.
Asked if he expected to be in podium contention prior to the Olbia-based meeting, the 22-year-old said: “I think it is a bit of a surprise.
“I was not really hoping much from the weekend, from a rally which I don’t like in the calendar really at all. So, it has always been a big struggle for me here. It just does not suit me so well. So definitely, I am quite happy how it came out at the end.
“Definitely the weather was helping us but still we lost a big chunk of time on the Monte Lerno on Friday when it was dry and after that we still have been trying to fight back a bit in places and also being clever to get the places that we can, let’s say staying there and waiting if something happens. We could not really fight back much, but I think we did a good job.”
Five additional points on the Power Stage was the crowning glory for Rovanpera, although he has asked for a rethink around current tyre rules, saying four fresh Pirelli shoes should be made available to Rally1 crews as tyre preservation limits the fun factor for both drivers and spectators.
“I think it is quite clear,” said Rovanpera when asked what he would propose to address the current legislation. “[The] FIA has to make a rule to keep new tyres before the Power Stage.
“I think it is not a big add to the cost and it is quite easy to make a tyre fitting zone before the Power Stage. Like in Portugal, it is the same thing. When there is no fight it feels bad for the fans.
“We are actually going very slow on the stage and you do it because everybody else does this also. It is not so nice for the fans and not for us either. I think that could be a solution.”
On his Power Stage victory, the reigning World champion added: “We had a good tyre package left for the final day and it was really nice that we could therefore push on the Power Stage and finally take the fastest time and five extra points.
“It was definitely not easy, with a lot of rain just beforehand which was easing up a bit for the last cars, but it was a proper challenge in the mud. This has always been a tricky event for me personally, and this weekend our plan was to try and be fast when we can be and take it steady when needed and I think we did that.
“We had quite good pace overall and stayed out of trouble and at the start of the weekend I really didn’t expect that we could end it with this many points.”
