World Rally champion Kalle Rovanperä has been forced to retire from Rally Finland with chassis damage to his Toyota too great to enable him to restart.
Rovanperä had been leading his home round of the World Rally Championship over team-mate Elfyn Evans, but crashed on the eighth special stage when the rear got away from him and led him to the inside of the corner and ultimately into a roll.
Initially it appeared as if the championship leader would return to action on Saturday as he appeared on the starting list released by the event organizer.
But Toyota was also granted an extra hour to return Rovanperä’s car to parc fermé due to “the time needed for the FIA technical delegate to give the authorization to repair it”.
However it transpires that the #69 GR Yaris Rally1 was too badly damaged from its end-over-end roll and Rovanperä has been forced to retire.
“Sadly the chassis is too badly damaged and we are forced to retire,” Rovanperä said in a statement.
“Of course massively disappointed to what happened, but it is what it is.
“Thanks for the support, we will be back stronger.”
Rovanperä joins Ott Tänak and Esapekka Lappi in retiring from the weekend after Friday’s leg.
Tänak was forced out with engine trouble after an impact while Lappi crashed his Hyundai head on into the trees.
