At the age of 15, Kalle Rovanperä clocked faster times than the much older Esapekka Lappi and Teemu Suninen.
Only 15 years old Kalle Rovanperä your blanket in secret tests Esapekka Lapin and Teemu Suninensays rally site Dirtfish.
It all happened on August 7, 2016. Rovanperä drove a WRC car for the first time in his life.
The head of Toyota’s rally team at the time Tommi Mäkinen and Tommi Mäkinen Racing’s vice president Mia Miettinen had been thinking about inviting the young promise to the tests for a long time. The secret event was organized in the evening of Eastern Finland.
The Finnish trio was first put on the track to get a feel for the car. Lappi is nine years older than Rovanperä and six years older than Suninen.
– Kalle was only 15 years old, so we couldn’t take him too seriously behind the wheel. He was too young, but still there, Mäkinen recalls to Dirtfish.
After practice, the drivers headed to the side of the road to make notes.
– Kalle jumped into the car and was immediately the fastest. Despite the fact that the others were older than him and had more experience than Kalle, Mäkinen wonders.
– Kalle was in his element. He got out of the car and said, “It’s such an easy car to drive. And really fast to drive.”
Kalle Rovanperä already impressed in his first tests. Juha Sorri
The drivers were then put on a gravel road. Lappi drove the first clip.
Mäkinen jumped into the car with Rovanperä.
– I noticed that in a few places it was possible to drive a different line (like Lapland). I told the lines that I myself would like to drive. Kalle listened, started driving and was a few seconds faster on his first attempt.
Ready at the age of 15
Rovanperä photographed in 2016. The talent was already clear at that time. MIIKA WUORELA
According to Miettinen, Rovanperä listened carefully to others and took everything into his mind. It was clear that the star had ignited.
– He got into the car and was faster than anyone else. Everyone saw and knew that it wasn’t about whether Kalle would become world champion. It was more about how many world championships he would win.
– Kalle was ready already that day.
Rovanperä finally signed a contract with the Toyota rally team led by Mäkinen. At first only Mäkinen, Miettinen and the manager knew about the deal Timo Jouhki. The young man was not allowed to tell even his family.
The work bore fruit when Rovanperä celebrated its first world championship this year.