In Estonia, everything smiles on him.

Born on the other side of the Baltic, it is on these lands that the son of Harri Rovanperä became in 2021, at only 20 years old, the youngest winner of a round of the world championship.

"Winning there last year was a great moment and it was a very solid weekend for us (...), I always like rallies like this with fast and flowing roads, they keep me going. are suitable", declared the one who now dreams of being crowned at the end of the season.

Finnish driver Kalle Rovanpera (d) and his co-driver and compatriot Jonne Halttunen pose with their trophies after winning Rally Estonia on July 18, 2021 in Raadi, near Tartu Timo Anis AFP/Archives

He would then become, by far, the youngest WRC world champion in history.

Confidence may be in order for Rovanperä, because since his last victory in Estonia, the successes have been linked: in 2022 alone, the Nordic prodigy has already won four of the first six rounds of the season and his pursuers must be satisfied with the crumbs.

Starting with Tänak, 2019 world champion, who has won only once this season, in early June in Sardinia.

On land he knows so well, the Estonian, winner of the event in 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (the year when his national rally joined the WRC world calendar), will have the ambition to snatch his second win of the season.

Estonian Ott Tanak, driving his Hyundai, during the 3rd special of the Sardinia Rally between Olbia and Cabbu-Abbas, June 3, 2022 Andreas SOLARO AFP / Archives

For now, 83 points separate Rovanperä from Tänak, third with 62 points.

If he knows that a victory will not be enough to take the advantage over the young leader of the World Championship, the Baltic will be keen to sweep away his poor performance from last year, when he was relegated to the depths. of the classification, the fault of a retirement on the second day of the race.

Very fast handle

In ambush, Thierry Neuville, five times vice-world champion between 2013 and 2021 and current second overall, has a lead of only 18 points over his teammate Tänak.

No joker will therefore be granted knowing that a victory is worth 25 points (plus up to five additional points granted on the last special, the "Power Stage").

"I was able to finish on the podium there in 2021, so I hope to be able to do the same this year", hopes the Belgian, at the dawn of "one of the fastest events on the calendar".

Belgian Thierry Neuville, driving his Hyundai, during the 3rd special between Olbia and Cabu Abbas, June 3, 2022 at the Sardinia Rally Andreas SOLARO AFP / Archives

At Toyota, in addition to Rovanperä, the team will include in its ranks the Japanese Takamoto Katsuta, current 4th in the championship, the Welshman Elfyn Evans, 6th overall, as well as the Finn Esapekka Lappi, who replaces the French world champion Sébastien Ogier. , engaged in only part of the season's meetings.

Ford, surprise winner of the first rally of the season with the other Sébastien, Loeb, also back for a few years, can count on the Irishman Craig Breen, 5th in the championship.

He will be supported by the Briton Gus Greensmith and the French Adrien Fourmeaux and Pierre-Louis Loubet.

After the opening scheduled for Thursday evening in a super-special contested in Tartu (east), 23 other specials (8 Friday, 9 Saturday and 6 Sunday) and some 314 km will be timed on extremely fast roads - contrasting with the previous event in Kenya.

© 2022 AFP