Kalle Rovanperä returned to the stages where he began his career as a teenager, and together with co-driver Jonne Halttunen, they led the rally from the very first stage in the Latvian capital, Riga, on Thursday evening. They went on to win 11 out of 20 stages and, in only their 50th WRC start, achieved their 200th individual stage victory. The win in Latvia also marked their 14th career triumph at World Rally Championship level.
Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais made an impressive comeback after being forced to retire before the previous round in Poland. By the end of the first leg, they were running in third place, and on Saturday they climbed to second, a position they maintained until the chequered flag.
The one-two finish by Kalle Rovanperä and Sébastien Ogier earned maximum points for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team. With the additional points scored on the Power Stage, the team is now just one point behind the leaders in the World Rally Championship manufacturers’ standings.
Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin finished fifth overall, having faced difficulties due to their starting position on the opening day’s gravel stages. The 11 points they collected keep them third in the drivers’ standings and firmly in title contention. Just behind them were Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston in the fourth Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. The crew could have achieved a better result, but an off on stage 12 caused damage to the power steering system, leaving them in sixth place at the finish.
