In a very technical and fast asphalt race, authentic driving is essential to achieve the desired results. Two-time champion Kalle Rovanpera is synonymous with efficiency, as demonstrated by the ease with which he crews the Toyota Yaris Rally1. But for everything to work in the best possible way, we have to listen to the suggestions of those with the most experience and eight world titles under their belts. Sébastien Ogier, Rovanpera's team-mate but with a partial programme, was relentless in his fight for victory, but was powerless to hold off the young Finnish driver despite numerous attempts.
Kalle was always the leader in the Canaries and won 15 of the 18 qualifying specials, missing out on two super-specials where concentrated spectacle was the main objective. A perfect clash of generations, won by the youngest champion, but who never failed to listen to the opinion of those with much more experience.
Tyres are a fundamental part of achieving good results. Hankook, now the supplier for the 2025 WRC, emphasised this important test on the asphalt of the Canary Islands Rally, while also stating the importance of testing on the ground at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal in three weeks' time, an eager event for all involved, as everyone said.
Kalle Rovanpera's out-of-this-world display is in line with the effectiveness of the Yaris Rally1, which has always been finely tuned to the characteristics of the Spanish tarmac, unlike Hyundai, which had a race to forget, making it perhaps the most difficult rally for the team in recent times. In the fourth event of the year, the healthy coexistence between Rovanpera and Ogier was in evidence, despite constant duels between the two drivers, on a terrain where important tyre mixes for asphalt were tested, ahead of a much-desired test on the dirt stages of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, between 15 and 18 May.