WRC New Zealand 2022: Rovanpera triumphs
He will have dominated the 2022 season in the most beautiful way. Kali Rovanpera, accompanied by his co-driver John Haltonen, won New Zealand 2022 (ahead of Ogier and Tanak) and set the fastest time in the power stage. With this sixth success this season, Rovanpera has been crowned World Champion 2022!
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Fans have been waiting for this moment for ten years now! The World Rally Championship is finally back at the other end of the earth in New Zealand (-11hrs in France) for the eleventh event of the season.
Remote offsets are obligatory, only 28 cars (including 10 Rally1 and 12 Rally2) You have a rendezvous in Auckland where the pre-roll service park is located at 17 specials Land on the program (279.80 km).
In Toyota Gazoo Racing, this time Rovanperä will have a real chance to become the world champion (See explanations) and he will be accompanied there by Ogier, Evans and Katsuta. Hyundai Motorsport will have both Tänak and Neuville in their ranks who will continue to push for a return to the Japanese team with Solberg opting for a third i20 Rally1 race. Finally in M-Sport it will be a very light ride because only Bryn and Greensmith will represent the British team yet Package formo. However, a third Ford Puma Rally1 car was entered with Italy’s Lorenzo Bertelli back at the wheel.
| Victory ► Rovanperä Ogier + 34s6 Tänak + 48s5… (classification) |
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This is how Rovanpera finished Rally New Zealand taking his sixth success of the year on Sunday with the best time in the Power Stage as a bonus. A big win and a double for Toyota, with Rovanpera winning ahead of teammate Ogier followed by Tanak who completed his last podium.
The icing on the cake, Finn becomes world champion in the 2022 World Rally Championship!
► DAY4 start menu: Brien Bertelli Solberg Nouvelle Tanak Auger Rovanpera.
► SS14: Rovanpera begins its historic morning with perhaps better weather.
► SS15: Tanak signs for the scratch.
► SS16: Ogier set the fastest time.
► SS17 – Power Stage: Ruvanpira Tanak +0s6 Ogier + 3s4 Solberg + 3s6 Neuville + 3s9.
This day north of Auckland, and only 90km long, wasn’t easy for the pilots who had challenging conditions with rain making the dirt tracks very slippery. Three retirements will be reported leaving the road with Evans, Greensmith and Katsuta. Before the championship leader, Rovanpera took control of the rally ahead of Ogier and Tanak.
► DAY3 start menu: Brian Bertelli Katsuta Solberg-Novel Greensmith Rovanpera Ogier Evans Tanak.
► Start of the day support: Like the Hyundai Neuville and Tänak drivers, the Rovanperä receives a Penalty Five seconds after a big push in the SS1 opener on Thursday.
► SS8: In the rain, Brin signs the scratch and Rovanpira climbs onto the makeshift platform.
► SS9: The final turning point in the 2022 season? Evans came out at high speed and lost 36s5 and his lead. At this time, Rovanpera comes out with a big attack and takes the lead.
► SS10: Fierce exit by Greensmith (crew fine – final retirement). Credits to Brin for the fastest time.
► SS11: Evans finally has to give up for good (Broken Bow) while Rovanpera drives the point home with a fresh scratch. Note that the three Hyundai drivers Tänak, Neuville and Solberg received a ten-second penalty this time for overextending the No. 7 special.
► SS12: Rovanpera is the fastest again. Ogier receives a ten-second penalty after a late check-in (one minute late). Katsuta gets out of the way and gives up for good.
► SS13: Brin ends his day on a better note.
This long first day came to an end with about 160km south of Auckland, in New Zealand as Tanak rejoined the provisional leader ahead of Evans and then Ogier. With a different winner almost at every stage, this Friday was debated as Brin sadly returned disappointed after leaving the road on time #5.
► DAY2 start menu: Ruvanpira Tanak Novel Evans Katsuta Brain Greensmith Auger Solberg Bertelli.
► SS2: In the rain on a very wet special stage, the two Ford Puma Rally1 cars from the M-Sport team performed very well in this time trial with Greensmith taking the zero and Brin taking the race lead.
► SS3: In a complicated negotiating pif-paf at the end of the special, Neuville (+15s4) just as Katsuta spun exactly in the same spot (+33s0). Finally, it was Evans who was fastest on this long, wet lap of 31.48 kilometres, allowing the Welshman a provisional podium finish.
► SS4: Neuville loses a little more time with a new spin (+14s9). Tänak sets the best time while it is still as wet as it has been since the beginning of the episode.
► SS5: Brin who was on the makeshift platform got out of the way and abandoned. Ogier took the opportunity to sign the scratch and take the place of event leader.
► SS6: Rovanpera is the fastest. Ogier is wasting time with his broken wing.
► SS7: Tanak signs for zero and returns to the Auckland leader.
► End of day support: Tanak and Neuville received a Penalty than five seconds each after a very big boost in SS1 opener on Thursday.
The first day of racing ended in New Zealand with Rovanpira on the one hand being the quickest in the process of pulling away, then Tanak in the tarmac section as an appetizer for the scratch-winning SS1.
► away time: Rovanpera Solberg +0s1 Neuville + 0s1 Tänak + 0s2 Ogier + 0s5 Evans + 0s8 Greensmith + 0s8 Breen + 1s5 Katsuta + 1s5… Bertelli + 7s8… ► Complete results.
► SS1 start menu: Bertelli Solberg, Auger Greensmith, Bryn Katsuta Evans, Novell Tanak Ruvanpira.
► SS1: After a very private showing on the tarmac near a park in central Auckland and thus not quite representative of the rally, Tänak took the lead by setting the best time.
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