Kalle Rovenpera - Wins Rally Estonia, the Round 8 of WRC - 2023 Season

Kalle Rovanperä has stormed to a dominant Rally Estonia victory for the third year in a row with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team, exten...

Kalle Rovanperä has stormed to a dominant Rally Estonia victory for the third year in a row with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team, extending his lead in the FIA World Rally Championship.

Guided by co-driver Jonne Halttunen, Rovanperä once again looked at home aboard his GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID on some of the fastest roads in the WRC. He held a narrow lead at the end of Friday despite having to run first on the loose gravel stages, and was quite literally unbeatable thereafter as he pulled clear of the competition.

He recorded a remarkable run of 13 consecutive stage wins from Saturday morning until the rally-ending Power Stage on Sunday afternoon – becoming the first driver to have such a streak of fastest times on a WRC round since Sébastien Loeb in Germany 15 years ago.

Quickest in the finale by two seconds, he secured his second win of the season by 52.7s overall and claimed the maximum 30 points to increase his standings lead to 55 points. The victory is his 10th in the WRC in the two years since he became its youngest-ever winner on Rally Estonia 2021.

Elfyn Evans remains second in the drivers’ standings after he and co-driver Scott Martin were second-fastest in the Power Stage and finished fourth overall following a thrilling fight for the final place on the podium with Esapekka Lappi (Hyundai) – finishing just 7.3s away.

TGR-WRT has increased its manufacturers’ championship lead to 57 points.

Overall Standings

POS	CAR NO	DRIVER	CO-DRIVER	TEAM / CAR	ELIGIBILITY	STAGE TIME	PENALTIES	TOTAL TIME	DIFF PREV	DIFF 1ST
1	#69	FIN K. ROVANPERÄ	FIN J. HALTTUNEN	GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID	M	36:03.1		36:03.1
2	#11	BEL T. NEUVILLE	BEL M. WYDAEGHE	i20 N Rally1 HYBRID	M	36:55.8		36:55.8	52.7	52.7
3	#4	FIN E. LAPPI	FIN J. FERM	i20 N Rally1 HYBRID	M	37:02.6		37:02.6	6.8	59.5
4	#33	GBR E. EVANS	GBR S. MARTIN	GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID	M	37:09.9		37:09.9	7.3	+1:06.8
5	#3	FIN T. SUNINEN	FIN M. MARKKULA	i20 N Rally1 HYBRID	M	38:24.2		38:24.2	+1:14.3	+2:21.1
6	#7	FRA P. LOUBET	BEL N. GILSOUL	Puma Rally1 HYBRID	M	39:08.0	5	39:13.0	48.8	+3:09.9
7	#18	JPN T. KATSUTA	IRL A. JOHNSTON	GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID	M	39:13.3		39:13.3	0.3	+3:10.2
8	#8	EST O. TÄNAK	EST M. JÄRVEOJA	Puma Rally1 HYBRID	M	37:28.7	05:00.0	42:28.7	+3:15.4	+6:25.6
9	#23	NOR A. MIKKELSEN	NOR T. ERIKSEN	Fabia RS	WRC2 (T/D/C)	45:57.2		45:57.2	+3:28.5	+9:54.1
10	#24	FIN S. PAJARI	FIN E. MÄLKÖNEN	Fabia RS	WRC2 (T/DC/CC)	46:06.9		46:06.9	9.7	+10:03.8
11	#22	FIN E. LINDHOLM	FIN R. HÄMÄLÄINEN	i20 N	WRC2 (T/D/C)	47:18.9		47:18.9	+1:12.0	+11:15.8
12	#27	BOL M. BULACIA	ESP D. VALLEJO	Fabia RS	WRC2 (T/DC/CC)	48:00.8		48:00.8	41.9	+11:57.7
13	#29	POL M. MARCZYK	POL S. GOSPODARCZYK	Fabia RS	WRC2 (DC/CC)	48:20.2		48:20.2	19.4	+12:17.1
14	#26	EST R. VIRVES	GBR C. DREW	Fiesta Mk II	WRC2 (DC/CC)	48:32.4		48:32.4	12.2	+12:29.3
15	#25	EST E. KAUR	EST J. VIILO	Fabia RS	WRC2 (DC/CC)	48:32.9		48:32.9	0.5	+12:29.8
16	#31	IRL J. MCERLEAN	IRL J. FULTON	i20 N	WRC2 (DC/CC)	49:56.4		49:56.4	+1:23.5	+13:53.3
17	#47	FIN R. KORHONEN	FIN A. VIINIKKA	Fiesta Rally3	WRC3	57:16.2		57:16.2	+7:19.8	+21:13.1
18	#58	LUX G. MUNSTER	BEL L. LOUKA	Fiesta Rally3	JWRC	57:42.6		57:42.6	26.4	+21:39.5
19	#38	EST K. KASARI	EST R. RAIDMA	Fabia	WRC2 (DC/CC)	57:43.0		57:43.0	0.4	+21:39.9
20	#54	FRA L. PELLIER	FRA K. BRONNER	Fiesta Rally3	JWRC / WRC3	57:50.7		57:50.7	7.7	+21:47.6
21	#35	BOL B. BULACIA	ESP A. CORONADO	Fabia RS	WRC2 (DC/CC)	51:44.5	06:20.0	58:04.5	13.8	+22:01.4
22	#48	FIN T. HERRANEN	FIN M. LUKKA	Fiesta Rally3	WRC3	59:59.0		59:59.0	+1:54.5	+23:55.9
23	#53	PRY D. DOMINGUEZ	ESP R. PEÑATE	Fiesta Rally3	JWRC	00:43.6		00:43.6	44.6	+24:40.5
24	#49	TUR A. TÜRKKAN	TUR B. ERDENER	Fiesta Rally3	WRC3	01:51.6		01:51.6	+1:08.0	+25:48.5
25	#39	ESP A. VILLANUEVA	ESP J. MURADO	Fabia RS	WRC2 (DCM/CC)	01:54.5		01:54.5	2.9	+25:51.4
26	#62	CZE F. KOHN	GBR T. WOODBURN	Fiesta Rally3		04:09.1	10	04:19.1	+2:24.6	+28:16.0
27	#60	MEX A. MAURO	ESP D. SANJUAN	Fabia Evo		04:53.0		04:53.0	33.9	+28:49.9
28	#37	EST P. KOIK	EST K. TAMM	Fabia Evo	WRC2 (DC/CC)	05:25.9		05:25.9	32.9	+29:22.8
29	#41	ITA M. MIELE	ITA L. BELTRAME	Fabia RS	WRC2 (DCM/CC)	09:14.6	40	09:54.6	+4:28.7	+33:51.5
30	#65	EST R. JÜRGENSON	EST S. OJA	Fiesta		10:00.3		10:00.3	5.7	+33:57.2
31	#55	ESP R. BLACH	ESP M. BARREIRO	Fiesta Rally3	JWRC / WRC3	10:56.5		10:56.5	56.2	+34:53.4
32	#30	PRY F. ZALDIVAR	ITA M. DER OHANNESIAN	i20 N	WRC2 (T/DC/CC)	11:05.7	01:30.0	12:35.7	+1:39.2	+36:32.6
33	#59	KEN H. ANWAR	USA A. KIHURANI	Fiesta Rally3	JWRC / WRC3	12:47.0		12:47.0	11.3	+36:43.9
34	#51	IRL B. CUMISKEY	IRL A. KIERANS	Fiesta Rally3	WRC3	14:42.8		14:42.8	+1:55.8	+38:39.7
35	#56	BEL T. RENSONNET	BEL L. DUMONT	Fiesta Rally3	JWRC / WRC3	15:00.5		15:00.5	17.7	+38:57.4
36	#45	ITA L. COBBE	ITA R. MOMETTI	Fabia Evo	WRC2 (DCM/CCM)	21:04.4		21:04.4	+6:03.9	+45:01.3
37	#50	FIN B. KORHOLA	FIN P. KELANDER	Fiesta Rally3	WRC3	26:41.8		26:41.8	+5:37.4	+50:38.7
38	#20	SWE O. SOLBERG	GBR E. EDMONDSON	Fabia RS	WRC2 (D/C)	26:56.2		26:56.2	14.4	+50:53.1
39	#28	EST G. LINNAMÄE	GBR J. MORGAN	i20 N	WRC2 (DC/CC)	27:20.9		27:20.9	24.7	+51:17.8
40	#67	ISR S. UGER	ISR M. UGER	Fiesta		23:20.7	07:10.0	30:30.7	+3:09.8	+54:27.6
41	#52	IRL W. CREIGHTON	IRL L. REGAN	Fiesta Rally3	JWRC / WRC3	36:32.9		36:32.9	+6:02.2	+1:00:29.8
42	#34	CHL J. MARTINEZ	ARG A. ALVAREZ	Fabia Evo	WRC2 (DC/CC)	42:58.7		42:58.7	+6:25.8	+1:06:55.6
43	#40	DEU A. KREMER	DEU E. KREMER	Fabia RS	WRC2 (DCM/CC)	49:37.6		49:37.6	+6:38.9	+1:13:34.5
44	#64	EST K. SEI	EST M. LEOTOOTS	208 Rally4		57:10.1		57:10.1	+7:32.5	+1:21:07.0

Next round is Rally Finland in a couple of weeks from now.