After a masterful and mature Monte Carlo Rally, 19-year-old Finn Kalle Rovanperä has promised a more committed approach to Rally Sweden.
The Toyota World Rally driver finished the season-opener fifth after a superb, reserved drive in some of the trickiest Monte conditions in years.
Next week takes him back to the conditions where he was born to drive – back in the snow and ice of Scandinavia.
“I enjoy snow rallies a lot, so Rally Sweden should be a nice event for us,” said Rovanperä.
“I think it should be easier for me than Monte Carlo, but we will also need to push more to the limits there.”
Rovanperä has always looked entirely comfortable in the winter conditions (apart from when he was sitting in that Svullrya snowbank 12 months ago).
Think back to that famous video of the eight-year-old him driving across a frozen lake.
Now think back to that mighty Arctic Rally win a month ago – his first overall rally success with Toyota’s Yaris WRC.
He continued: “Driving the Yaris WRC has been a lot of fun so far and on snow it has been an amazing car to drive.
“The Arctic Rally was good preparation for us, but the conditions in Sweden could be tricky because there has been not so much snow, so we will have to see just how helpful it really was.”
