The two-time world rally champion has struggled in the opening two rounds of the 2025 World Rally Championship season, but history has proved Kalle Rovanpera always overcomes a challenge.
“It was in my mind that it was going to be difficult [before the rally] but I did not expect it to be this difficult,” said a disappointed Rovanpera at the end of Rally Sweden last weekend.
Statements such as this from the two-time world rally champion, that has ripped up the record books and changed the WRC pecking order, are highly unusual.
Such has been the performances delivered and incredible feats achieved by the Finn in recent years, the rally world now comes to expect an awful lot from Rovanpera every time he jumps into a car - and perhaps too much.
While it’s far too early for alarm bells to start ringing after only two WRC rounds, it does appear a change of tyre manufacturer and the raising of the bar from his opposition, could make the fight for a third world title even tougher.
Rovanpera was instantly tipped as the 2025 title favourite following confirmation of his full-time return to the championship after a partial season last year. The 24-year-old is already the youngest champion (2022) and back-to back champion (2023), and even during a part-time campaign last year, he led all seven rallies he contested and won four. Rovanpera is a generational talent.
But it hasn’t been an easy start to 2025, a season where Rally1 cars have undergone the biggest changes since the 2022 launch, following the removal of hybrid power, on top of a change of tyre manufacturer with Hankook replacing Pirelli.
On paper Rovanpera sits third in the championship, 30 points behind Toyota team-mate and Rally Sweden winner Elfyn Evans, so it is by no means time for panic. Although, few would have predicted Rovanpera to start the year with a fourth in Monte Carlo followed by a fifth in Sweden, the latter a rally he normally enjoys and won in 2022.
Why Rovanpera struggled in Sweden
Rovanpera indicated during January’s Monte Carlo opener that the different characteristics of the Hankook tyres required a change to his driving style to unlock the ultimate pace. The Finn particularly struggled to gel with the slick tyre, on an asphalt event that he openly admits is not his favourite.
Rovanpera outlined his struggles by saying “let’s see in Sweden if we can remember if we can drive a rally car or not” following the last stage in Monte Carlo.
“My natural way of driving doesn’t work so well and then you are not confident, and then you start to lose some time” Kalle Rovanpera
Much was expected on the ultra-fast snow banked roads in Sweden given this is usually a setting where Rovanpera thrives. But again adjusting to the Hankook rubber - this time its studded snow tyre - proved a challenge. It was a trial Rovanpera admitted he’d feared before a wheel had been turned, having driven on the tyre during Arctic Lapland Rally, an event Toyota used to help prepare for Sweden. According to Rovanpera, the tyre requires a style that his not “natural” to him, but it must also be said that his road position in Sweden was not favourable.
After ending Friday 25.5s behind the leader Evans, Rovanpera was asked if it was just the tyre he was struggling with, or a combination of the tyre, car and driver.
“I think it is all three. I don’t get to drive the car how I want. I can feel quite clearly that I need to fight against the car all the time, so I think they have all combined,” he replied. “It is not smooth, the driving, everywhere I need to do some extra stuff. I’m fighting against understeer a lot, so it is never good on a fast road like this.
“It has been quite difficult with the new tyres and getting a good feeling. There has been a lot of struggle to be on the pace.
“My natural way of driving doesn’t work so well and then you are not confident, and then you start to lose some time.”
Rovanpera and his Toyota team were able to unlock solutions as the weekend progressed and performances improved, particularly on the narrow and more technical roads, resulting in a fastest time on stage nine. But it was on the wider, faster roads where drivers have to trust the front end of their cars and commit to corners early, where a lack of confidence resulted in valuable time loss.
“When we have these technical and narrow roads, it is pretty good what we have found on the car, but I’m still struggling on the fast and wide roads,” he added. “On the big road with this tyre I don’t know if I can ever feel good. It is just not for me.”
Toyota team principal and 18-time WRC rally winner Jari-Matti Latvala explained the situation: “Kalle changed the roll bars, he changed the springs, he changed the differentials [during the rally]. They changed a lot of things with the car. The biggest thing was that when Kalle started driving differently he managed to adjust his driving and that was the biggest difference.
“I would say the biggest difference with this tyre is you have to be patient when you come to the braking and turn in. When the car is rotating you have to wait, and then when the car is straight, then you accelerate. You can’t drive as aggressively with these tyres than with the previous [tyres].”
Ultimately a disappointed Rovanpera ended Rally Sweden fifth overall, fifth in the Super Sunday standings and third fastest on the Power Stage. All things considered it was a decent haul of 20 points from a weekend where he was far from his best. But a lot now hangs on how he will get to grips with Hankook’s gravel tyre that will make its first appearance in next month’s Safari Rally Kenya – the first of nine gravel events this year.
“We were trying to push hard but we could not have the pace or the performance that we wanted, even on this final day,” Rovanpera added. “It’s a big disappointment but this is the only snow rally in the season and now we need to focus on the next rally on gravel with a completely different tyre and work to be stronger there.
“I hope the tyre is not like this kind of tyre on gravel, and it is not the same style, but we don’t know yet. Now the team and the engineers can do a job comparing all of the data as to where the difference is coming, and hopefully we can understand better.”
The opposition has raised its game, but never write off Rovanpera
Rovanpera’s struggles adapting to the new Hankook tyres have arrived while the WRC opposition seems to have stepped up. Team-mate Evans has started this season strongly, the Welshman clearly rejuvenated after a tough 2024. A second place in Monte Carlo followed by a maximum points haul in Sweden has elevated him into a healthy championship lead, 28 points clear of nearest rival and part-time runner Sebastien Ogier.
Close friend and team-mate Takamoto Katsuta came perilously close to denying Evans victory in Sweden and if that performance can be replicated the Japanese will continue to knock on the door of a maiden WRC win. Ogier also chalked up victory in Monte Carlo for Toyota and will play a key role for the Japanese marque this year, as arch rivals Hyundai has upgraded its i20 N and refreshed its driver line-up with rising star Adrien Fourmaux, who also appears to be threatening to take his first WRC win. The Frenchman is flanked by reigning world champion Thierry Neuville and 2019 champion Ott Tanak, who are both title contenders.
It does appear this year could be the most competitive season for a while with six drivers capable of challenging for victories
Such is the standard Rovanpera has set after dominating 2022, question marks were raised when the Toyota driver missed out on victory in the first four rounds of 2023. Those questions were answered resoundingly with victory in Portugal, before going on to win the championship with a round to spare. This could quite easily be repeated, although it does appear this year could be the most competitive season for a while with six drivers capable of challenging for victories.
But Rovanpera has had an answer to any challenge presented to date. Last year he entered Rally Poland with limited preparation after receiving a last-minute call to replace Ogier who was injured in a recce crash. Rovanpera went on to win the event, scoring nine stage wins in what was one of his finest displays, and proof he has the ability to thrive in the most difficult of scenarios.
While all eyes will be on Rovanpera in Kenya next month, Latvala is confident his star driver will click with Hankook’s gravel tyre, which could prove to be a critical factor in this year’s title battle: “I understand that the gravel [tyre] will maybe be more suitable for Kalle. I think on gravel he will be okay.”
