The gap year’s done. He’s back.
As Kalle Rovanperä prepares to return the #69 Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 to full-time deployment, he takes a moment to reflect on last season. What did he learn? How much fun was a Formula 1 car? And Ireland – will he be back?
The irony of this one is that, as we share this story, the two-time World Rally champion is making his 24-hour race debut in Dubai. Even if that 2024 theme’s not quite done yet, he and Jonne Halttunen have completed their Monte Carlo pre-event test and they’re very much back in the mindset of re-taking their titles.
How did Rovanperä rate 2024?
In WRC terms, he started seven rallies, finished seventh in the championship, won four, crashed on three and led for precisely twice the number of stages eventual world champion Thierry Neuville did.
Elsewhere, there was golf, more drifting, Killarney and 50 laps of the Red Bull Ring in an RB8.
Rovanperä won four rallies last year, but also crashed in three
“It was a really great year,” said the 24-year-old, with a smile that widens as he mentally recounts the highlights. “A lot of fun. A lot of fun, definitely. And pretty much what I was expecting from the year. Let’s say, I didn’t take time off from rallying just to be at home. I had quite clear plans to do something else.”
When he was on the world stage, he had the opportunity for a perfect part-season. Missing Monte would mean a good road position in Sweden and that story would stay once he landed on the gravel. Could he have won everything he started in the WRC?
“I think that was pretty much the plan,” he said. “Unfortunately throwing away two results with my own crashes in Sweden and Portugal, where we were leading the rally, [didn’t help]. Finland would have been a clear win for us also, but there was nothing I could do for that [rock on the line]. That was just rallying.
“But yeah, I would say then it would have been an impressive record if we would have won every start we had. That was the goal.
“Still, four is not so bad. I would say Poland was definitely a clear highlight for me also. There is not really much more that you could do than what we did there. It was not on the plan and not having any of the preparation done when we were called to replace Séb [Ogier] after his crash in the recce, Jonne and me were doing something completely different. It was a tough week, but in the end it was a nice result.”
Did he learn much?
He learned plenty. In case you hadn’t noticed, he’s already a fairly handy wheelman. But he’s also still a young fella who traded his teenage years to become the youngest ever World Rally champion. Taking time out taught him lots.
Kalle: “I have learned many things from myself on what kind of things I enjoy and what kind of things I want to do in my life. A bit more maybe.
“And, of course, I have been learning as a driver also – for sure on the circuit racing stuff. I think there were quite many positive things from last year. For rallying, it depends on what kind of condition you have. If it’s dirty and a lot of cuts and stuff, it’s not really like circuit racing. But then if we have some clean, super-clean rallies, like maybe Canarias will be. I hope it will have an [advantage].”
Come on then. Formula 1 car?
“Well, it was definitely a cool experience. Really, really nice day driving all the different cars (Formula 4 and Formula Renault 3.5). And then, of course, F1 at the end, which was super-interesting.
“It was nice also. It was super, super-fast car. It just takes everything you give it, basically. The faster you go, the better the car feels. So yeah, definitely was a very cool experience.”
And a 380bhp Toyota Starlet up Moll’s Gap. How was that?
“Really good. I was waiting to come to an event in Ireland and Killarney was a really good one. OK, we had this small problem and stopped for a while on the first stage, but then me and Jonne had so much fun. It was nice to win this Moll’s Gap stage as well.
“Definitely we would look to come back again. The local drivers were really fast and everybody out there was so nice, it was more fans there even than I see at home sometimes!”
Happy to be back?
He’s very happy to be back. And he’s coming back in a different frame of mind. The reset has worked.
“What I’ve seen this year from myself and everything, I think I try to enjoy rallying a bit more than I have been before, maybe in the past few years.
“I try to learn how to enjoy it more, how to still do good results and how to fight for the championship, but still enjoy the driving and enjoy the competitions more. That’s my goal, that’s what I want to achieve if it’s possible.
“Last year has given me good motivation for this year. There is just one goal: try to win again and try to be again fighting for the championship. That’s the only goal. I need to come back working hard, but I want to try [to win a third title].”
Rovanperä will miss the hybrid boost he enjoyed from 2022-24, but equally can feel the benefits of a lighter car
Talking at the end of Killarney, Rovanperä told DirtFish he would miss hybrid from the Rally1 cars. Why wouldn’t he? Both his world titles were powered by battery as well as internal combustion. Now he’s driven his steed without hybrid, what does he think?
“Yeah,” he said, “you can definitely feel the weight difference, which is the most positive thing about it. It’s lighter, so definitely it’s in this way it’s nicer to drive. Like I said, we will miss the boost from the hybrid, that power was nice, but these cars are still going to be good. It’s going to be an interesting year.”
Certainly is. Good to have you back, #KR69.
