The driver’s contract negotiations are about the driver’s remuneration, rights and obligations. Rovanperä’s contract is also affected by the driver’s favorite hobby of drifting.
Henri Kaukonen,
Samu Saatsi
The reigning world rally champion Kalle Rovanperän the contract with Toyota ends in the current season.
Rovanperä’s manager Timo Jouhki has confirmed that his protégé is negotiating a contract for the upcoming season. However, Jouhki does not say in detail which teams have been in negotiations with Rovanperä.
Personal factors are important
Traditionally, the length of the contract period and financial factors, as well as the driver’s opportunities to influence things within the team, weigh heavily in the drivers’ contract negotiations. In Rovanperä’s case, the visibility of his personal partners and the Finnish driver’s opportunities to do things outside of the rally, such as drifting, also weigh heavily in the negotiations.
According to Jouhki, Rovanperä’s position in the driver market is known to all parties.
– Kalle has a very similar position to Tommi Mäkinen at the time at Mitsubishi.
Mäkinen was world champion when the next contract was negotiated.
Jouhki does not believe that Rovanperä’s contract will require lengthy negotiations.
– I would believe that things will be resolved in the near future. Another thing is when the contract can be signed and published.
It’s about the driver’s remuneration, rights and obligations
Urheilu’s F1 expert Jukka Mildhin according to which the market value of successful drivers is measured at the contract table.
– It’s about doing business and building a career for the driver, but also about where the driver feels good.
When negotiating with the champion driver, the stables are looking for a sure performer.
– Japanese teams in particular are careful that the driver is motivated despite the increased fees.
At the same time, according to Mildh, the rumors coming from behind the scenes aim to affect the driver’s market value and improve the negotiating positions.
In addition to financial factors, it is also about the negotiating driver’s position in relation to the other drivers in the team. Usually on the negotiation table is also how many days the driver is available to the team’s sponsors.
– Those things play an important role. Every extra jump to another country for filming consumes the driver’s energy.