Harri Rovanperä drove to win the Swedish World Rally Championship in 2001 and his son Kalle Rovanperä now 21 years later.
Kalle Rovanperä aired the victory of the Swedish World Rally Championship on Sunday in Umeå. 21 years ago Father Harri drove to win the same rally, now Kalle did the same trick. Nothing like this has ever happened before in the history of the World Rally Championship.
– It’s pretty cool, luckily this victory wasn’t the only one for me, Kalle referred to his father’s World Rally History. The son now leads his father with 3-1 victories, as Kalle won last year in Estonia and Greece.
Rovanperä had a job in his glove all weekend, although on Friday the starting point was the first to make driving difficult. The role of the aura man slowed down.
– Didn’t feel hard or bad, there was a good rhythm all the time. We knew the moments when we couldn’t answer. We made no mistakes and took our time back, while we were able to, Rovanperä repeated.
Rovanperä, 20, has endured wonderfully in tough pressure situations. However, in the midst of a festive rumor, he pointed out that the top-level rally career has not lasted very long.
– We have always been able to squeeze in tight situations, which is a good feature.
The Swedish World Rally Championship was now driven further north, in the Umeå region. This ensured great conditions.
– It is better to have good conditions and proper snow. The winter rally demands it, the roads were great too, although a few sections were a bit boring. There were long straights, Rovanperä described.
The next World Rally Championship in Croatia in April is now worth starting from the top of the series. However, a year ago, the go-out was interrupted by the first special stage.
– It is not terribly difficult to improve from last year. Trying to get five miles further on the first stretch. If you got as good a feeling on the asphalt as now on the snow, Rovanperä thought.