Kalle Rovanpera is a two-time FIA World Rally Champion after clinching his second consecutive title on Sunday with a runner-up finish on the inaugural Central European Rally.
The 23-year-old Finn came home 57.6s behind rally winner Thierry Neuville after a measured performance on Sunday’s short final leg of an all-asphalt event that featured stages in Germany, Austria and Czech Republic. And with one WRC round still to go, he can’t now be caught by his nearest rival, Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate Elfyn Evans.
Entering this rally with a 31-point lead over Evans, reigning champ Rovanpera simply needed to maintain that advantage to claim back-to-back crowns. When Evans suffered a dramatic crash in his GR Yaris Rally1 on Saturday morning, the path to victory was all but assured.
Following a steady start to the season, Rovanpera and co-driver Jonne Halttunen hit their stride in May by winning Rally Portugal. From that moment on, the pair have only finished outside of the podium twice, adding victories in Estonia and Greece.
“I am feeling really good,” said Rovanpera. “I think this year was, for me personally, more important than last year. The competition was tighter, and we did a really good job. The biggest thank you of course goes to Jonne — he is also the world’s best co-driver. I am going to enjoy this one more than the first one.”
Neuville’s outright rally victory may have been overshadowed by the champions’ celebrations, but the Belgian’s drive was a masterclass in precision through three days of often treacherous road conditions.
Driving a Hyundai i20 N Rally1, Neuville took control on Saturday morning, started Sunday’s final leg with a 26.2s lead, and extended that to almost a minute at the finish to claim his 19th outright WRC career victory on the slippery asphalt roads across Germany, Austria and Czech Republic.
“Overall, we did a good job,” Neuville said. “We had good consistency which ultimately paid off. It was a team effort this weekend and we did it, so we can be proud of that.”
M-Sport Ford’s Ott Tanak overcame a hydraulic failure on the penultimate day to complete the podium, but almost two minutes back from the front-running pace in his Puma Rally1.
Eight-time WRC champ Sebastien Ogier, making one of his occasional 2023 WRC appearances, fought back from wheel damage on Friday to claim fourth ahead of his Toyota teammate Takamoto Katsuta.
Teemu Suninen’s Hyundai finished sixth overall, ahead of M-Sport Ford’s Gregoire Munster, with Pierre-Louis Loubet Puma the only other Rally1 car in the top 10.
Evans did restart Sunday’s final leg after Saturday’s off, and at least had the consolation of setting fastest time in the bonus points-paying, rally-ending Wolf Power Stage.
In WRC2, the second tier of international rallying, Andreas Mikkelsen and co-driver Torsten Eriksen are the 2023 champions thanks to their last-gasp Wolf Power Stage victory.