Finnish drivers and map readers dominated the World Rally Championship in the 2022 season.
Kalle Rovanperä ended a 20-year wait and won the world championship with karter Jonne Halttunen (left). PDO
In the World Rally Championship, championships are awarded in six different classes. The Finns fixed the pot in no less than four classes.
Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen already secured their first main class world championship in the New Zealand World Rally Championship held at the beginning of October. Rovanperä collected six wins during the season and beat Hyundai, who finished second in the World Cup standings Ott Tänak too in the end by 50 points.
Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen were able to celebrate the WRC2 class championship at the end of the World Rally Japan, which ended on Sunday, when they finished third in their class in the last race of the season. The points of the final race made Lindholm the champion of last year by Andreas Mikkelsen before.
Lindholm claimed two championships this season, as he had already secured the title in the WRC2 junior class.
Lauri Joona is the WRC3 class champion. Vesa Pöppönen / All Over Press
Lauri Joona on the other hand, won the WRC3 class championship after a hard-fought Czech driver Jan Cerny against in the October World Rally of Catalonia. Sami Pajarin karter Enni Mälkönen was, on the other hand, the master map reader of that class.
Pajari was involved in the fight for the WRC3 junior class championship, but was unable to repeat last year’s JWRC title. This season’s junno championship was taken by an Estonian Robert Virves formerly a British driver Jon Armstrong and Pajaria.
WRC2 Masters was the only class of the World Championship where not a single Finn was seen this season. The championship of over 50-year-old conkers was won by an Italian Mauro Mielewho secured the title with his first place in the Japanese competition.
This year’s manufacturers’ championship was won by Toyota’s factory team, whose background forces are strongly Finnish. The base of the stable is located in Jyskä, Jyväskylä.
The World Rally Championship season 2023 starts in January with the iconic race in Monte Carlo.