Kalle Rovanperä secured victory at Rally Chile Bio Bío on Sunday mastering dense fog and treacherous conditions to clinch his fourth win of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship season.
Driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID, the Finn edged out his Toyota GAZOO Racing team-mate, Welshman Elfyn Evans by 23.4sec at the final gravel fixture of the year, which took place on gravel roads across Chile’s Bio Bío region.
Rovanperä made a cautious start to this 11th round of the season, admitting that the Chilean gravel didn’t suit his driving style. Nevertheless, as the rally progressed, he found his rhythm.
The turning point came on Saturday afternoon when he overhauled Evans in near-zero visibility, navigating through thick fog high up the mountain stages to seize a 15.1-second lead heading into the final day.
The two-time WRC champion remained unflappable in equally difficult conditions today, outpacing Evans on all but one of the final four stages to secure the 15th victory of his WRC career.
Hyundai Motorsport’s Ott Tänak completed the podium, trailing Evans by 20.5sec in his i20 N Rally1 HYBRID. Despite the Estonian’s podium, Hyundai lost ground in the manufacturers’ championship with Toyota reducing the gap to just 17 points, courtesy of Rovanperä and Evans’ masterful performances and Sébastien Ogier’s crucial Super Sunday points haul.
“It feels really good,” smiled Rovanperä. “Big thanks to the team, the car and everything worked perfectly. The win actually feels like a good one – Friday did not feel so good and the conditions were really difficult all weekend so it feels really good.”
Championship leader Thierry Neuville enjoyed a relatively drama-free run to fourth, a result which moves him even closer to a maiden drivers’ title as he tops the standings by 29 points with just two rounds remaining.
Neuville can afford to lose a handful of points to both Evans and Ogier at next month’s Central European Rally and still lift the title there, providing he outscores team-mate Tänak.
Rally Chile Bio Bío Final Classification:
1. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris 2h 58m 59.8s
2. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris +23.4s
3. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Hyundai i20 N +43.9s
4. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N +1m 1.1s
5. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Ford Puma +2m 2.7s