To define it as “a return as a champion” we need to wait longer, but Kalle Rovanpera immediately gave important signals during the Shakedown of the Swedish Rally, the second round of the 2024 WRC which took place this morning.
On the 5.42 kilometer route called Hakmark, the 2-time reigning world champion achieved the best overall time with a time of 2'47″2 obtained on the second test pass. It is interesting to note that he had already set the time in the first reference, and then adjust it by 5″1 in the next one.
Rovanpera, who will race part-time this year and is making his seasonal debut in the WRC, preceded world championship leader Thierry Neuville, second, 4 tenths behind him. The Belgian from Hyundai Motorsport set his best time in the second of the three attempts made, but it should be underlined that in the first he was unable to benefit from the help of the intercom, the communication system inside the cockpit which allows the navigator to dictate the notes to the pilot.
For this reason Neuville's time was quite high, because the Belgian did not want to take any risks on a test stage. However, it must be said that, in this way, we have not been able to understand how effective Neuville can really be by starting in the worst possible position, the first, which he will maintain at least for the whole of tomorrow as is the case for the world championship leaders.
Third time for one of the most anticipated riders of the weekend, Esapekka Lappi. The Hyundai Motorsport Finn was 1″4 slower than Rovanpera and 1 second clear than his teammate Neuville, but he put Elfyn Evans behind him. The Welshman from Toyota Gazoo Racing improved his time slightly in the third lap, finishing 1 tenth behind Lappi and third place.
6 tenths further back we find the third Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, the one entrusted to the starting driver Takamoto Katsuta. The Japanese took the liberty of preceding a sly Ott Tanak, only sixth and 3″7 behind Rovanpera despite enjoying a good starting position. We are certain, however, that the Estonian will be in the fight for the victory as happened last year, when he gave M-Sport one of the two victories achieved in the season.
Good signs come from Adrien Fourmaux, certainly the fastest and most experienced driver among those fielded by M-Sport. The Frenchman achieved a decent time in the first lap and managed to improve in the second, being 6 tenths slower than Tanak who precedes him.
Amazing performance for Oliver Solberg, immediately among the Rally1s in the first lap with his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 and eighth at the end of the Shakedown ahead of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 driven by the Italian crew of Lorenzo Bertelli and Simone Scattolin. The latest Rally1 is Gregoire Munster's Ford Puma Hybrid. The Dutchman has shown that he needs to gain experience and in this morning's Shakedown he had to settle for the 14th time.
Rally Sweden will start this evening with the first special stage, the 5.16 kilometer Umea Sprint 1. This will define the first provisional ranking of the event in view of the first stage which will be completed tomorrow with another 7 stages.
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