Rovanpera Dominates Portugal Rally

In a thrilling showdown on Portugal’s dusty tracks, Kalle Rovanpera made a commanding leap to victory, his first win of the season, and an undeniable display of prowess in the Wolf Power Stage. Amid mechanical mayhem, Esapekka Lappi secured third place as Solberg’s showboating cost him the WRC2 lead. Strap in for a rally recap that’s as unpredictable as the road itself.

Kalle Rovanpera clinched an impressive victory in Portugal, marking his first triumph of the season. He also claimed the top spot in the Wolf Power Stage, beating Dani Sordo to the finish line.

Esapekka Lappi secured third place after his team-mate Thierry Neuville encountered issues on the day’s initial stage.

The concluding part of Rally de Portugal encompassed four stages, with Paredes and Fafe kicking off the action, followed by Cabeceiras de Basto to end the morning. The second run through Fafe served as the Wolf Power Stage.

The most significant news overnight was in the WRC2 category, where Oliver Solberg was handed a one-minute penalty for showboating during Saturday’s super special stage, where he performed doughnuts past the finish line.

Consequently, Solberg surrendered his lead to Gus Greensmith and had a mere four stages to make up a 30-second deficit.

For the rally’s overall leader, Kalle Rovanpera, it was another day at the office as the Finn maintained a substantial lead over Dani Sordo throughout the morning.

Rovanpera clocked the fastest time on SS17, extending his lead to 59.4 seconds. Although this lead diminished to 47.8 seconds before the Wolf Power Stage, it was a lead he carefully managed as the previous year’s champion.

Rovanpera then displayed a solid performance, posting the fastest time on the return journey through Fafe. As a result, the Toyota driver claimed maximum points from the event, winning both the stage and the overall rally.

“We’ve been waiting for this moment, but at last, we’re back,” declared an overjoyed Rovanpera.

“I owe a big thank you to Jonne and the entire team. They’ve been constantly pushing and making progress. I also need to express my gratitude to my close friend Artu.

I’ve been having a tough time personally since the end of last year, and he’s been encouraging me to bounce back.”

Sordo didn’t make it into the top three stage times on the final run, yet the Spaniard secured second place overall in the standings and was contemplative upon completion.

“It’s a fantastic feeling. I believe we drove exceptionally well. I want to extend my gratitude to Craig Breen who has been with me throughout the entire rally and has pushed me to my limits.”

In the contest for the third spot, Neuville faced a dramatic turn of events as his Hyundai experienced a mechanical problem that demoted the Belgian to fifth place.

Neuville arrived the previous night with smoke emanating from his car, and despite his belief that it could be fixed, Neuville had to tackle the morning’s first stage with diminished power.

Neuville’s problems led to Lappi taking over the third spot, with Ott Tanak advancing to fourth.

No shifts occurred during SS18 as the drivers conserved their tires for the impending power stage. Lappi seized third on the final stage, gaining some extra points to round off his run to third place in the event. However, it wasn’t without danger, as smoke was visible from his I20 N Rally1 upon finishing.

Tanak secured second place on the Wolf Power Stage on his way to clinching fourth, ahead of Neuville who managed to bring his struggling car to the finish line.

In the WRC2 category, the finish was thrilling, with Gus Greensmith narrowly coming out ahead, despite a strong comeback from Solberg reducing the gap to a mere 1.2 seconds at the end.

Greensmith encountered a mechanical issue on the day’s second stage. Solberg was making up for his penalty but just fell short of pulling it off.

the outcome of the 2023 WRC Portugal Rally.

World Championship 2023

WRC Portugal Rally 2023 WRC Portugal Rally 2023 WRC Portugal Rally 2023 WRC Portugal Rally 2023

• MORE WRC!
• Evans Claims Victory at Croatia Rally: Tanak and Lappi Round Out Podium
• Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram  for all the latest updates between issues.