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Car maker’s involvement in the management of motorsport programmes has been thrust into the spotlight by the 'football manager' style turnover of senior staff at the Alpine Formula 1 team. It doesn’t take an expert to realise that seven team principals across 10 years for the Enstone team is not…

1. Rovanpera crashes out but still leaves impact on rally

The eight-time world champion is contesting a partial WRC campaign for the second consecutive season, with the Frenchman expected to compete in as many as seven rounds this year.

The Toyota driver came through an intense battle with Hyundai’s Teemu Suninen to claim the final podium spot at last weekend’s high-speed gravel rally, marking the Japanese driver’s best result of the season to date.

The Welshman produced his most convincing display in a Rally1 car to date on his way to a second WRC victory of the season by 39.1s over Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville.

The Toyota driver reeled off seven consecutive stage wins to turn an overnight 6.9s lead into a commanding 32.1s advantage over Neuville heading into the final day.

The Toyota driver starred in challenging wet conditions to win all four stages of the morning loop to transform his overnight 6.9s lead to 17.7s, as WRC crews headed to the midday service.

Evans spent the majority of the day fighting with world championship leader Rovanpera, after the Finn assumed the rally lead on stage two and then went on to reel off five consecutive stage wins.

Rovanpera managed to tame changeable conditions to win three of the four high-speed gravel stages to lead Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans by 3.9s at midday service.

The M-Sport-Ford driver produced a committed run through the 3.48km mixed surface Harju test, held on streets and parkland roads within the host city of Jyvaskyla.

The reigning world champion remained in a class of his own to claim the three morning stages to increase his rally lead to 46.5s over Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville.