Kalle Rovanperä’s rally season threatens to end in disappointment.
Kalle Rovanperä’s World Rally Championship in Japan experienced a huge setback. ZumaWire / MVPHOTOS
Japan World Cup Rally
Situation after the 3/20 special exam
1. Sébastien Ogier, Toyota 37.06.5
2. Elfyn Evans, Toyota +1.0 seconds
3. Takamoto Katsuta, Toyota +1.7
4. Sami Pajari, Toyota +9.5
5. Adrien Fourmaux, Hyundai +15.8
6. Ott Tänak, Hyundai +45.8
7. Thierry Neuville, Hyundai +1.01.1
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Kalle Rovanperä even failed the previous special test thanks to his driving mistake Heikki Kovalainen behind in the overall situation of the rally.
However, the biggest concern for Rovanperä was whether he would be able to walk through the nearly 20 kilometer long Isegami tunnel.
The Finnish ace’s Yaris was still in such bad shape that Rovanperä did not dare to drive anywhere near full speed. However, the loss of time has no meaning anymore, because the chances of decent World Cup points based on the basic rally are already gone.
There was more in a matter of minutes.
– We managed to fix something. We got through, but we were really slow, Rovanperä said at the finish.
The important thing now would be to keep the championship dream alive with Sunday’s sprint race and the Power Stage.
– Now we should still get to maintenance.
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Toyota has secured the manufacturers’ world championship, but on the drivers’ side, the battle is still hot.
Unfortunately, only Rovanperä could drop out of it once and for all in Friday’s second special test.
Rovanperä hit the railing of the bridge right at the beginning of the section and crossed the finish line almost two and a half minutes slower than his teammates.
– I drove too hard, narrow place. Maybe it was the wrong note. Have to check. Maybe it just had an overly optimistic note and I went wide, Rovanperä explained.
The Left Support Arm was broken.
– We have to see if it can be repaired.
In practice, Rovanperä is no longer fighting for the victory in the World Rally Championship in Japan. Now it is even possible that the Finn will fall decisively far from leading the World Series of Elfyn Evans.
A little later, the television cameras caught up with Rovanperä and the cart Jonne Halttunen keys in hand. The left support arm needs additional support, and the continuation of the rally is by no means certain.
Takamoto Katsuta clocked a record low time. At the same time, the Japanese driver rose to the top of the rally.
Sami Pajari continues the rally fourth.
– A surprisingly good time. Comes clean. It was a little bit in my teeth that I should be even harder, Pajari said.
Ford’s Josh McErlean drove Rovanperä even more violently out. His rally ended in a Japanese forest.
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The morning in Japan dawned cold and cloudy.
Evans, who leads the World Series, was the first to attack the 17-kilometer long Inabu / Shitara section.
However, the Welshman had to dodge a deer at the very beginning of the special test.
They are fighting for the world championship with Evans Sébastien Ogier and Rovanperä wanted to take advantage of the teammate’s misfortune.
Rovanperä fell into a driving error in the World Rally Championship in Japan. AOP
Ogier succeeded, but Rovanperä lost by up to 4.3 seconds to the Frenchman.
– There was understeer at the end, and it’s not easy when the road is so winding. It is difficult, Rovanperä said.
Hyundai drivers Ott Tänak, Adrien Fourmaux and Thierry Neuville were a fraction of a second behind Toyota’s pace.
For a long time, Pajari was even on the bottom time, but a small driving mistake dropped him 3.8 seconds away from Ogier’s quote.
– It didn’t feel particularly good at all. I didn’t trust the car. This was only the first clip on Friday, Pajari said.