Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä has a small chance to secure the World Series victory already in Greece. After that, there are still three World Cup competitions left. According to expert Miikka Anttila, the Finnish star hardly takes big risks.
The World Rally Championship in Greece, which starts on Thursday, will once again test the durability of the cars this year. A slower and heavier rally than the previous races is offered by Urheilu’s expert Miikka Anttilan including typical Central European rally conditions: stony mountain roads, loose stones and dust.
– There will be flat tires, but it is not yet possible to estimate whether there will be more than in the spring rallies in Portugal and Sardinia. Greece’s special tests have been improved a lot over the years, but it is still a car-breaker, says Anttila.
With Toyota holding the top spot in the World Series Kalle Rovanperä there is a slim chance to secure the world championship already in Greece. After that, there will be competitions in New Zealand, Spain and Japan. Rovanperä leads the series with a difference of no less than 72 points from Hyundai’s Estonian giant To Ott Tänak.
According to Anttila, however, Rovanperä’s position at the top as a plow is extremely difficult.
– From what I’ve heard, there’s a lot of loose gravel in Friday’s special tests. That makes Rovanperä’s job difficult. Probably Rovanperä as the first car will suffer perhaps the most, what the first car has suffered in gravel rallies this whole season. Friday is a long one, and there are a few tens of kilometers of new track to be plowed than there has typically been.
Instead, starting positions 7–9 start Esapekka Lappi, Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Sordo are strong according to Anttila.
– I’m pretty sure that one of these three will be on the podium. Elfyn Evans starts as the fourth car on the route. Last year, Rovanperä won when he started as the fourth car, although it was much wetter then. It will be really challenging for Rovanperä and Tänak to win the rally if they try. The winning favorite will indeed come from the Evans axis, Anttila assesses and continues:
– I would be surprised if Rovanperä goes in pursuit of rally victory and championship in Greece. He will probably go for a good performance of his own, maybe in the group of four, with which he will collect enough points that he will be able to enjoy himself in New Zealand and secure the championship there.
According to Rovanperä, the route looks good, although it is in worse condition than a year ago.
– Some sections have been repaired, but it would seem that a lot of rock will rise. Can be a bit harsh on the car for sure. It’s not an easy route, says Rovanperä.
The 21-year-old Finnish star has already won five races this season and was second once. A couple of weeks ago in Belgium, Rovanperä crashed hard, but got important points by winning the Power Stage.
In Greece, Rovanperä does not yet have a championship goal in mind.
– It (securing the championship) is not terribly likely now. As we saw in Belgium, anything can happen. I try to drive a good race, get good points and thus get closer to the championship.
Lapland: “The podium can be quite close”
Esapekka Lappi is looking forward to the World Rally Championship in Greece with excitement. He has competed in Greece once before, but then half of the route was asphalt.
– Friday is a really rough day because they (the organizers) figured out that there is no maintenance at all. Let’s put it on the roughest day and without maintenance. It has quite a bit of spice, Lappi marvels.
Lappi, who came third in the previous two World Cup competitions, knows that the chances of reaching the top three are also good in Greece.
– If there are no problems during the weekend, the podium can be quite close. You have to try to stay intact both in terms of the tires and the car. I’m not going to pass on Friday so that we can win this rally, says Lappi.