TOP PAGE
ENGLISH
JAPANESE
|
CONNECT WITH US:
Home
About
Services
Contact
Log in
*
Home
Press release
Oct 03, 2022 11:15 JST
Source:
Toyota Motor Corporation
Rovanpera crowned youngest ever champion with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing
TOKYO, Oct 03, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Kalle Rovanpera has become the youngest ever winner of an FIA World Rally Championship title* at the age of just 22 years and one day, after the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team driver and his co-driver Jonne Halttunen secured their maiden crowns in style with victory at Rally New Zealand.
Taking the title in only his third season competing at rallying's highest level, Rovanpera is more than five years younger than the previous record holder Colin McRae was when he won the championship in 1995.
Rovanpera has been the benchmark driver in the first year of the WRC's new hybrid Rally1 regulations, and his victory in New Zealand is his sixth of the season in the GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID. Having led the standings since winning round two in Sweden in February, he has now clinched the title with two rallies remaining.
His is the eighth WRC title to be won by a Toyota driver and the fourth in as many years. Rovanpera is the first Finnish driver to win the championship for 20 years and the first to do so driving a car built in Finland.
Outstanding speed in difficult weather conditions has been a key attribute to Rovanpera's driving in 2022 and was also central to his victory in New Zealand, where the smooth gravel roads were hosting the WRC for the first time in a decade. After finishing the longest day of the rally on Friday in mixed conditions in fourth overall, he excelled on a soaking wet Saturday on his 22nd birthday to take over the lead and build an advantage of almost half a minute.
Sunday brought further wet weather for the final four stages but Rovanpera managed his lead ahead of the rally-ending Power Stage. Only a top-four time there was needed to secure the two extra bonus points he required for the championship, but he nonetheless recorded the fastest time - the seventh occasion he has topped the Power Stage this season.
The outgoing champion Sebastien Ogier completed a one-two finish for the team together with co-driver Benjamin Veillas on their fourth start of the 2022 campaign. Part of a close four-way fight for the lead earlier in the rally, they played an important role for their team-mates by taking points away from their championship rivals.
The one-two finish overall, plus the first and third fastest times from the Power Stage, ensures that the team increases its manufacturers' championship lead to 81 points with 104 left available.
For more information, visit
https://toyotagazooracing.com/wrc/release/2022/rd11-day4/
.
Source: Toyota Motor Corporation
Sectors: Automotive
Copyright ©2025 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Japan Corporate News Network.
Related Press Release
Acropolis Rally Greece: Day 4 Sunday success and second overall for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's Ogier
June 30 2025 19:15 JST
Mitsubishi Fuso-Hino Merger: 4 Firms Collaborate for the Future of Commercial Vehicles
June 30 2025 19:10 JST
Implementation of Measures to Enhance Our Corporate Value in Connection with Toyota Industries Corporation
June 03 2025 18:54 JST
Toyota Group to Accelerate Collaboration Towards Transforming into a Mobility Company Through Privatization of Toyota Industries Corporation
June 03 2025 18:16 JST
Construction Begins on New Toyota Tokyo Head Office in Shinagawa, to Open in FY2030
May 27 2025 13:31 JST
Five Toyota Group Companies to Accelerate Skill Development and Innovation in AI and Software
May 23 2025 09:51 JST
New RAV4 Makes World Premiere in Japan
May 21 2025 13:09 JST
Premiere of New bZ Woodland BEV Focused on Driving Performance and Spaciousness in North America
May 16 2025 15:35 JST
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing fights back for double points finish
May 12 2025 14:45 JST
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Set for Spa spectacle
May 02 2025 18:29 JST
More Press release >>
Latest Press Release
Approval in Principle (AiP) for World's First LCO2 / Methanol Carrier
Jun 30, 2025 20:30 JST
Acropolis Rally Greece: Day 4 Sunday success and second overall for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's Ogier
Jun 30, 2025 20:15 JST
Mitsubishi Fuso-Hino Merger: 4 Firms Collaborate for the Future of Commercial Vehicles
Jun 30, 2025 20:10 JST
Six Companies Establish BlueRebirth Council to Expand Use of Recycled Materials in New Vehicles
Jun 30, 2025 19:25 JST
Honda Changes Plan to Build New Production Plant for Next-generation Fuel Cell Module in Japan
Jun 30, 2025 19:20 JST
MHI-AC&R Receives Recommendation Award of JARAC's 42nd Excellent Energy Saving Equipment Awards
Jun 30, 2025 19:00 JST
The University of Osaka and Fujitsu Japan launch joint research on AI-powered education support for culturally and linguistically diverse children in Japan
Jun 30, 2025 12:00 JST
JCB has launched contactless subway payment services in Shanghai and Beijing, marking the first such service in mainland China
Jun 30, 2025 12:00 JST
Honda Opens "Honda Software Studio Osaka" as New Software Development Operation
Jun 26, 2025 13:30 JST
Honda Issues "Honda ESG Report 2025"
Jun 26, 2025 13:29 JST
Fujitsu's Uvance Wayfinders consulting empowers customers to evolve business foundations leveraging data and AI
Jun 26, 2025 11:00 JST
MHI Receives Contract for Refurbishment of APM System at Singapore Changi Airport
Jun 25, 2025 14:00 JST
Special Summer Event "Tanabata Festival at Anime Tokyo Station" Feature a Public Recording of a Chat and Dramatic Reading by Voice Actors Miina Tominaga and Wataru Takagi on July 7
Jun 25, 2025 11:00 JST
Technica Zen and BSI Professional Services Japan Launch Customizable Training to Strengthen AI Governance in Japanese Companies
Jun 25, 2025 10:00 JST
Executive Appointments in Connection with the Establishment of NESIC Holdings
Jun 23, 2025 19:22 JST
Hua Medicine Announces at 2025 ADA Scientific Sessions that Dorzagliatin Combined with DPP-4 Inhibitor Shows Promise in Reducing Blood Lipids While Restoring Glucose Homeostasis
Jun 23, 2025 13:05 JST
CanSinoBIO Launches Pneumococcal Vaccine: An Innovative Choice to Safeguard Children's Health
Jun 20, 2025 19:06 JST
Sharp Launches A2 Size ePoster Color Electronic Paper Display
Jun 19, 2025 12:08 JST
Fujitsu unveils AI-powered presentation technology, enabling automated multilingual and customizable presentations
Jun 19, 2025 10:25 JST
ULVAC Continues Participation in "Lab-in-Fab" Project to Advance Piezoelectric MEMS Technology, Now Entering a New Phase
Jun 19, 2025 09:30 JST
More Latest Release >>