It’s not often four wins across a season goes practically unnoticed.
But when you’re not part of the narrative, it’s hard to fit into the story. Even if you’re a two-time world champion.
While Thierry Neuville has emerged as the main protagonist, seeing off challenges from Ott Tänak and Elfyn Evans, Sébastien Ogier has become the antagonist – an at first unintended rival that has complicated Neuville’s quest for glory.
Kalle Rovanperä doesn’t really fit into 2024’s plot. And that’s to be expected – after all, Rovanperä made an active decision not to play a starring role in this edition of the World Rally Championship.
But none of this means to say his performance level hasn’t been deceptively impressive. Ominously impressive even, if you’re a certain Belgian homing in on a maiden world title.
However, I say deceptive, because it was a shaky start – let’s be honest. Everybody expected Rovanperä to be leading in Sweden; nobody expected him to crash on stage four.
Everybody expected Rovanperä to be leading in Portugal; nobody expected him to crash on stage 11.
Portugal crash followed on from early exit in Sweden
There was a Safari Rally Kenya win in between, but those accidents have – in my opinion – cast a shadow over the perception of Rovanperä’s season that has clouded judgment ever since. As have the heroics of the man he was originally supposed to be sharing a GR Yaris Rally1 with.
Portugal in particular was a strange accident – one that looked as if it may have been a symptom of Rovanperä’s more relaxed attitude to the WRC this year. But it prompted a wake-up call from the world champion. Points weren’t needed for him, but they were needed for his team.
Of the two part-time world champions, Ogier was quicker to latch onto this. But the eight-time world beater hasn’t attempted to conquer the globe since 2021 – he’s had more practice at the part-time game than his young team-mate.
Ogier ultimately became so good at bringing Toyota home points that he became exactly what he always said he never wanted to be: a contender for the drivers’ championship.
Rovanperä’s two crashes from three starts in the first third of the year meant he never found himself in such a position, but ever since he’s been at a similarly high level as Ogier – perhaps even higher.
Rovanperä led Ogier for a Toyota one-two in Latvia
Yes, Ogier’s average points return is still the highest in the championship so far at 20.75, with series leader Neuville on 18.82 and Rovanperä 16.29. But turn to rally wins, and it’s Rovanperä who tops the charts.
His tally of four victories is the highest of anyone, but in percentage terms he’s leagues ahead with a 57% winning ratio – Ogier is next up with 38%.
It’s the same story with stage wins. With 47, Rovanperä is six clear of Neuville despite starting four fewer rallies (68 stages), while Ogier has amassed 41 to date.
Of course, for most of the season (and in Rovanperä’s case, all the season) Toyota’s two megastars have benefited from a better road position than the likes of Neuville, but both have also clearly performed at a world championship-winning level.
And that’s the point: both have performed at a world championship-winning level.
We’ve all slept on what Rovanperä has been producing of late because it’s had no impact. But just think about Marcus Grönholm’s 2001 and how badly that started yet how well it ended. What happened in 2002…?
Grönholm's winning spree in late 2001 foretold 2002 domination
Rovanperä’s recent performances have been spellbinding: the win in Poland was outrageous considering he had done no pre-event preparation at all; his domination in Latvia was absolute; and really, Rovanperä’s victory tally for the season should stand at five given he had done everything in his power to win Finland – a victory lost to Ogier thanks to an unavoidable rock on the penultimate stage.
And then there was Rally Chile the other week, where Rovanperä clearly wasn’t comfortable on Friday, but he kept himself in the hunt and pounced when the weather provided him an opportunity.
It was the sort of performance that, had it fallen in either 2022 or ’23, we would all have waxed lyrical about. But because Rovanperä has no part to play in the championship narrative this season, it barely registered as a footnote.
Perhaps that’s just because it’s what we’ve now come to expect from Rovanperä. Domineering performances are what the now 24-year-old does. Unlike Ogier with his sudden shot at the drivers’ title, Rovanperä has caused no surprise.
But as good as Neuville has been this year – and as deserving a world champion he will be should he secure it – Rovanperä’s warning shot is there.
Perform like this in 2025 and he will be anything but a footnote.
