Juha Kankkunen has witnessed rallying history twice over. In 1990, he was behind the wheel when Lancia achieved the first-ever 1-2-3-4-5 sweep in WRC history at Rally de Portugal. Last Sunday at Rally Finland, he watched on as deputy team principal while Toyota Gazoo Racing repeated that extraordinary feat 35 years later.
For Kankkunen, the symmetry was unmistakable – and the emotion overwhelming.
“Unbelievable, I mean that doesn’t happen,” he reflected immediately after Kalle Rovanperä’s victory confirmed the historic lockout. “Last time was 35 years ago, so we won’t see the next one maybe. But I’m really pleased.”
The result was particularly sweet given the context of Rovanperä’s season-long struggles on gravel. The two-time world champion has endured a surprisingly muted start to the season having struggled to adapt his driving style to the new Hankook tyres, with the Finn admitting as recently as last month’s Delfi Rally Estonia: “If we can’t do it here, I don’t know if we can do it anywhere else.”
Those doubts seem a lifetime ago now. The breakthrough came through testing and set-up changes that finally unlocked the secrets to the new tyre. Kankkunen believes this victory represents a watershed moment for his star driver.
“It was unbelievable, it was good. And I think for Kalle, that changed quite a lot – now his mind and feeling and everything – that he managed to win this one,” he explained. “I mean 36 seconds or 38 or whatever, but that’s a lot. Kalle is back to his normal speed, and I think he will be quite a dangerous guy at the end of the season as well.”
Rovanperä appears to have re-found his mojo on gravel rallies
© Toyota
Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen delivered a masterclass performance to end Finland’s eight-year wait for a home winner of its WRC round, claiming victory in record-breaking fashion by maintaining an average speed of 129.95kph across four days of flat-out action.
The speed was intoxicating, but for Kankkunen – a four-time world champion who knows these forests intimately – it was exactly as rallying should be.
“These roads are made for rallying and driving and everybody enjoys it,” he said. “Even foreigners were a little bit [hesitant] before, let’s say, but that was 30 years ago. But now they all enjoy it and that’s good.”
The victory has moved Rovanperä to within three points of championship leader Elfyn Evans, with just 13 points covering the top four drivers. After months of frustration and adaptation, the timing couldn’t be better.
The winners set a new record – averaging 129.95kph across the rally
© Toyota
“He found confidence in the car and changed a little bit the driving style. Changed the set-up a little bit, let’s say different than he’s used to,” Kankkunen revealed. “But that seems to work very well and that’s it, nothing else. Just driving fast and no mistakes, nothing.”
The result also provided vindication for Toyota’s ambitious five-car strategy, with Takamoto Katsuta, Sébastien Ogier, Evans and Sami Pajari completing the historic sweep. For Kankkunen, it’s evidence of the strength in depth that could prove decisive in the manufacturers’ championship fight.
“I think I have a dream team in my hands,” he said. “If I can use that all right, we will be quite strong at the end of the year.”