MATOSINHOS (PORTUGAL): Youtube videos of defending World Champion Kalle Rovanperä driving a Toyota Starlet in the snow at the age of eight are already famous.
Even before making his debut in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2017, the young Finn had already won two titles in Latvia. He went on to become the WRC2 Pro World Champion in 2019 and then, the following year, was signed by the Toyota Gazoo World Rally Team to compete at the highest level of the WRC.
It was not surprising that he became the youngest ever driver to win a WRC rally - in Estonia in 2021. He dominated the following season and was duly crowned as the World Rally Champion after winning the Rally of New Zealand the day after celebrating his 22nd birthday.
Despite all his rallying experience, another of Kalle’s great passions in drifting. He is the founder and owner of the KR69 Drift Team and is preparing to participate in the second round of Formula Drift Japan at the Ebisu Circuit on May 20th-21st.
To that end, he was recently in his native Finland testing the new specifications of the Toyota Supra.
It remains to be seen whether the controlled slides will help him with the Vodafone Rally of Portugal for a second consecutive year…