Rovanpera expands Skoda programme
Skoda factory driver Kalle Rovanpera will contest next month’s SM Vaakuna Ralli in Finland as preparation for Rally Mexico.
The snow and ice of the Mikkeli-based Finnish Rally Championship qualifier won’t be a precise match for the third round of the world series – even if Mexico was hit by heavy snow late last week – but the 17-year-old is glad of the mileage in the Fabia R5 ahead of his first trip to Leon.
“It’s nice to drive again,” he said. “Monte Carlo was interesting for the first time, really tricky at times. I only tested for 10 miles on the snow tyre before we started, so Saturday morning in the deep snow was not so easy. I was happy though, the times compared well. Mexico can be more consistent, I look forward to this.”
Mexico is scheduled to be Rovanpera’s first outing in a factory-run Fabia R5. He drove a Skoda-supplied car, serviced by Toni Gardemeister’s team in Monte and will drive the same car in Mikkeli.
● Finn Eerik Pietarinen cruised to a big win in the opening FRC round, last weekend’s Arctic Rally. His Skoda was 2m25s ahead of the similar car of Emil Lindholm, who edged Toyota’s Japanese junior driver Takamoto Katsuta (Ford Fiesta R5) for third place.