Rallying, circuit racing, drifting and starring in a hip-hop video are all actions in Kalle Rovanpera’s 2024 ‘hole 12 months’ calendar. It’s honest to say life is fairly good in the intervening time for the reigning two-time World Rally champion, who has rewritten the document books.
The frequent denominator that hyperlinks all of those pursuits collectively, even his temporary dalliance into the world of Finnish hip-hop, is an unbridled ardour for vehicles. If a search was performed to search out the most important petrolhead presently competing in international motorsport, then Rovanpera has to enter the dialog.
“I’m certain out all the rally drivers, I’m most into vehicles that aren’t rally vehicles, you understand like highway vehicles and racing vehicles,” the Toyota WRC driver says in a particular version of Autosport’s Gravel Notes podcast.
“I simply take pleasure in vehicles so much. I’d say my fundamental passion is to construct vehicles, and naturally I don’t have the time and the abilities to make the vehicles myself, however I actually take pleasure in fascinated with the spec once I get a brand new automotive myself, like what sort of wheels I would like and all of the small particulars.
“After I see the automotive when it’s prepared, it is without doubt one of the largest joys I can get. I really like highway vehicles a lot. I really like how they appear, and I really like the way in which you possibly can categorical your self with vehicles.”
Rovanpera has taken this freedom of expression to a brand new stage this 12 months by starring as a welder-turned-driver in a hip-hop video for the ‘Rallikansa’ monitor – which interprets to ‘Rally Crowd’ – by award profitable Finnish artists JVG. It’s a tune that has been streamed greater than 4 million instances on Spotify.
Rovanpera’s partial WRC marketing campaign this 12 months is permitting him to take pleasure in his wider ardour for vehicles
Picture by: McKlein / Motorsport Photos
However it’s this ardour for vehicles that goes some solution to clarify why Rovanpera has put collectively a petrolhead’s paradise of a 12 months, after deciding to conduct an element marketing campaign within the WRC “to recharge his batteries”. A spot of rallying mixed with a enterprise into circuit racing whereas additionally indulging his love of drifting, may be very interesting to the 23-year-old.
It’s maybe not shocking that one the brightest skills to hit the WRC phases in recent times has a love affair with all issues 4 wheels. Since he was aged seven, the son of WRC rally winner Harri Rovanpera has been driving a car of some type. And it’s this extremely early begin to driving that has helped him accumulate WRC data for enjoyable.
After smashing the late Colin McRae’s youngest ever world champion document by 5 years and 88 days in 2022, Rovanpera joined an elite group of WRC legends Juha Kankkunen (1986-87), Miki Biasion (1988-89), Tommi Makinen (1996-1999), Sebastien Loeb (2004-2012) and Sebastien Ogier (2013-18, 2020-21) to efficiently defend their crown final 12 months.
“The way it began was all about enjoyable and this 12 months I’ve determined to do a couple of extra enjoyable occasions and simply go driving with my associates”
Kalle Rovanpera
Rising up because the son of a WRC driver will definitely feed this ardour. That time is made emphatically when Rovanpera remembers his first rally reminiscence, one that might impress upon anyone with a love for vehicles.
“I feel my first rally reminiscence must be from a Rally Finland take a look at the place my dad was driving, and if I bear in mind rightly, it was most likely a Peugeot 307 take a look at for him in possibly 2003 or 2004,” he explains. “I bear in mind it very well as a result of I used to be truly driving with him on the stage.
“My cousin was co-driving with him, however I used to be so small I used to be truly sitting on my dad’s lap. Then we went on the stage, and naturally he was not driving full pace. I used to be there and holding the steering wheel. I bear in mind some small issues from it and have seen some photographs.
“There’s fairly a joke about that. The entire day I used to be asking my dad to do a handbrake flip on the place the place they flip the automotive round. We bought to the purpose, and I stated, ‘let’s do a handbrake’. And naturally he wanted to steer whereas pulling the handbrake, so he was not holding me, and I hit my head on the steering wheel. I simply circled a gave him the thumbs up, and stated ‘let’s go once more’.”
Particular relationship with Toyoda has enabled Rovanpera to go drifting this 12 months
Picture by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool
It appears Rovanpera Jr was destined to be wrestling rally machines via the world’s hardest roads. However, whenever you peel again the layers, rallying and being a manufacturing unit WRC driver is only one a part of this obsession. For now, it’s the day job.
Rallying is supplemented by Rovanpera’s extracurricular automotive actions which have been allowed to increase by being a manufacturing unit Toyota driver, having shaped a relationship with the Japanese producer’s automobile-obsessive chairman Akio Toyoda. This has quenched the 12-time WRC rally winner’s thirst for drifting much more, with Rovanpera leaping behind the wheel of Toyota Corolla and Supra drift vehicles, competing throughout Europe within the Drift Masters European Championship and the favored Method Drift in Japan.
Drifting is extensively considered a little bit of an acquired style in relation to motorsport, so how did this obsession begin and why does it make Rovanpera tick?
“After I was youthful, I discussed that I wished to have a go at drifting,” he says. “I knew that I would really like it and I used to be following the game a bit and I used to be excited to strive some vehicles.
“I purchased my second highway automotive, which was an S13 Nissan, and with actually small modifications you possibly can drift these vehicles a bit. I went drifting a couple of instances with that after which I had the possibility to strive a professional drift automotive. I did some laps with none observe and it went very well and after that I used to be like, ‘I would like to do that extra.’
“For certain, it’s a unusual sport in some methods as a result of in a couple of years it has been evolving so much. The competitors in drifting has gone so excessive. The vehicles are correct race vehicles, they’re actually quick. Many individuals assume that you just don’t have grip since you wish to slide, however the vehicles are as gripped up as a lot as doable. We’ve got a lot grip within the vehicles that it’s not simple to drive. It’s cool whenever you make it work.
“You have to be on it, as you might be pushing the automotive and the tyre all the time. You have to be pushing the restrict of the grip so much and, because the automotive has a lot grip, it’s attempting to straighten all the time. If you may make it work, it’s enjoyable.
“The way it began was all about enjoyable and this 12 months I’ve determined to do a couple of extra enjoyable occasions and simply go driving with my associates. When you find yourself simply banging doorways, that’s the most enjoyable you are able to do with the automotive.”
Rovanpera could have a particular road-going Yaris named after him
To additional inflate his automotive tradition obsession, this 12 months Toyota has created restricted version bespoke road-going ‘Kalle Rovanpera’ and ‘Sebastien Ogier’ editions of the GR Yaris that the drivers have been actively concerned in creating. Little question certainly one of these will quickly make its method into Rovanpera’s rising automotive assortment, which features a prized 1987 BMW M3 E30 – Tour De Corse version.
“Akio has fairly the same mindset [to me] and he enjoys vehicles so much – that is fairly good to see from a giant boss like this,” he provides. “To be concerned from the primary steps of the automotive and resolve the settings and the small particulars that you would be able to select your self, it’s one thing actually superb and actually cool. I’ve to thank Toyota and Akio for this undertaking as a result of they’re actually obsessed with these type of issues. I feel the vehicles might be fairly uncommon.”
However this weekend Rovanpera, who has already tasted victory within the WRC’s well-known Safari Rally Kenya in March, will take his love of vehicles to uncharted waters – circuit racing. Already a drift king and rally stage-winning grasp, the following problem is to race within the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux at Zandvoort – the house of Method 1’s Dutch Grand Prix.
“I’m actually excited for my first time on the circuit and have that new problem. It’s new and attention-grabbing and that’s the reason I’ve the motivation to do it”
Kalle Rovanpera
Rovanpera has teamed up with Crimson Ant Racing, managed by veteran Le Mans 24 Hours racer Marc Goossens, to contest 4 of the six rounds. It’s actually a world away from hauling a GR Yaris via the Kenyan sand, a Finnish forest or the Acropolis’ unforgiving rocky terrain.
Taming the graceful circuit asphalt in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup automotive is simply one other certainly one of Rovanpera’s enjoyable challenges in his eyes. Such is his expertise, if Rovanpera can switch a portion of his abilities from rallying and drifting, he might be within the thick of the motion.
“I’m actually excited for my first time on the circuit and have that new problem, which might be actually troublesome – however that’s the level of it,” he says. “It’s new and attention-grabbing and that’s the reason I’ve the motivation to do it and see the way it goes.
“The primary take a look at I did went properly and I feel my lap instances have been on an OK stage. In fact, it will likely be an extended course of to get to the extent I wish to be. It’s like several motorsport – you want the kilometres.
Rovanpera can also be making his circuit racing debut this 12 months in a Porsche
“It’s actually cool, and the crew is motivated to do properly. Guys like Marc [Goossens] have a lot expertise and I feel we could have a pleasant programme. The plan is to introduce me to racing and see the way it works, and naturally we’re all motivated to have good outcomes. It isn’t simple to know the place I might be, however in fact each time you race you attempt to do your greatest.”
If you have a look at Rovanpera’s calendar you possibly can be forgiven for considering that it seems reasonably packed for somebody desirous to recharge the batteries. However for Rovanpera – certainly one of motorsport’s true petrolheads – it’s fairly the alternative. That is how he relaxes and enjoys life.
“I can really feel it already that this 12 months is doing a number of good for me,” he says. “I can really feel that I can relieve the stress that you just usually have doing the complete 12 months if you end up combating for the championship.”
Hearken to the complete candid interview with Rovanpera, the place the Finn reveals his WRC dream crew, discusses the considering behind his well-known stage finish quotes, his title-winning dance routines and the way he frightened Method 1 stars Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard.
Rovanpera is feeling the advantages of not being concerned in a WRC title battle this season
Picture by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool
