Rovanpera wins Rally of Portugal to extend lead in title race / Photo: © AFP
Rovanpera wins Rally of Portugal to extend lead in title race
Finnish driver Kalle Rovenpera strengthened his lead in the World Rally Championship with victory ahead of Welshman Elfyn Evans in the Rally of Portugal on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Rovenpera finished 15.2 seconds ahead of his Toyota teammate to move 46 points clear of Hyundai's Thierry Neuville after four rounds of the WRC season.
Spaniard Dani Sordo, also in a Hyundai, finished third over two minutes behind Rovenpera, edging out Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) and Neuville who came in fifth.
"Right now it looks like we're on a really good streak!" said Rovanpera, the youngest-ever winner in Portugal.
"To be honest, to start first and fight for a win like that is really good. Our car was perfect as always."
It was his fifth victory overall and his third this season following wins in Sweden and Croatia.
This fourth leg of the 13-rally championship was played out on rough dirt roads but Rovenpera mastered the conditions without the slightest hitch as he took eight of the special stages.
Impressive on Friday and Saturday, when both days were marked by mechanical problems through the field and the retirements of the two French grandees Sebastien Loeb (Ford) and Sebastien Ogier (Toyota), Rovanpera managed his lead perfectly during the final stages on Sunday.
Evans, who won in Portugal last year, pressed him all the way but could not get close enough to exert real pressure on the young Finn.
Neuville's title hopes were damaged on Friday when he lost a wheel during SS8.
Toyota lead the constructors' championship with 175 points, ahead of Hyundai (116) and the Fords of the M-Sport team (94).
(L.Garnier--LPdF)
