The Latest Breaking News from Kalle Rovanpera

The 2019 world champion kicked off the 21-stage event by winning the opening 3.3km Tartu Vald test but is sitting last in the overall standings after being hit with a five-minute penalty following an enforced engine change after shakedown.

Toyota will debut its new engine update at this weekend’s Rally Estonia after the reigning world champions elected to use one of its homologation jokers to make the change.

In recent weeks plenty of discussion and brainstorming has focused on how rallying’s top tier can be improved on several levels. This has largely been orchestrated by current World Rally Championship drivers who believe it is time for the discipline to make changes to grow. Technical and sporting regulations, event…

Top Performer - Sebastien Ogier and Vincent Landais

Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe have lost eighth place and the five bonus points for winning the rally-ending powerstage after FIA stewards determined that a “person connected with the crew travelled on or over the route of two Special Stages, after reconnaissance, without authorisation.”

The eight-time world champion scored this third win of a partial WRC campaign after seeing off Toyota team-mate and championship leader Kalle Rovanpera by 6.7s in a gruelling battle in Kenya.

The Finn inherited third on Saturday morning after making the most of a stall for Toyota’s Elfyn Evans on stage eight, but Lappi’s rally came to a premature end on stage 11.

The 2021 Safari Rally winner made a bold decision to take only one spare wheel, instead of two, for Friday’s six stages at a rally renowned for being rough on tyres.

Eight-time world champion Ogier started the day 0.1s behind overnight leader Tanak but headed to midday service with a 2.5s lead over Toyota team-mate Kalle Rovanpera.