Kalle Rovanperä’s mature and fast-paced grips in the World Rally Championship series gather praise and admiration from Finnish legends who have seen everything.
Ari Vatanen drove the rally world champion at the age of 29. The sporting legend, which celebrated its 70th birthday in the landscape of Ouninpohja last spring over the weekend, put into words what moves in the minds of most rally fans.
Rovanperä, 21, is in the spring of her life and is running a dream season. At the World Rally Championship in Sardinia, he saw another new, incredible feature that no driver of the same age is guaranteed to be able to implement.
When Rovanperä realized that the pace was not enough to win this time, he contented himself with taking the confident points that were available with a sensible ride. Rovanperä was capable of such filing in the middle of his dream period, when most of his driving shoes rise well above the ground, and a mistake happens.
But not to Rovanpera, who Power Stage took four extra points from the race decision and increased the difference to second place in the series as a special exam specialist Thierry Neuvilleen by nine points.
– He has had a tremendous season, and the season is only halfway through. Where else does a young man go before? Let’s live one day at a time, though. The ingredients are for breaking records, Vatanen says.
Suction help for others
Vatanen sees Rovanperä’s success more broadly and hopes that others will be able to advance in their rally careers.
– We are glad that young people are coming to Finland. Hopefully Even Esapekka (Lapland) would be more successful and more likely to drive, because continuous driving is a prerequisite for succeeding at that level, Vatanen reminds.
Vatanen and Rovanperä junior are not very familiar yet, but Vatanen, who has lived in France for more than 30 years, is sure that the conditions are there.
– Sure, I know him a little, but his father better. I met him soon as the winner of the VM Cup in front of the Rantasipi Hotel in Jyväskylä. Kalle also seems to have his feet on the ground and a head in the middle of good shoulders.
The story continues after the picture.
Kalle Rovanperä has made a great impression on Finnish rally heroes. AOP
“Incredible Talent”
Also Mikko Hirvonen is on the same lines as Vatanen. Hirvonen and Rovanperä have both lived in Puuppola, so the breeder of the same village, forcibly, became familiar to Hirvonen, who ended his active career in 2014.
– Kalle has incredible talent. In view of his young age, he handles situations well. He has terrible self-confidence. When the car works, he knows exactly exactly what ride he can drive and is even able to stretch, Hirvonen, who has won 15 World Rally Championships in his career, analyzes.