Rovanpera holds firm with home crowd behind him at Rally Finland

Kalle Rovanpera survived a morning puncture to extend his lead at Rally Finland after Saturday’s third day, putting the Finnish star in prime position for a home victory.

The two-time world champion won five of the day’s eight stages on slippery gravel, finishing ahead of Toyota teammates Takamoto Katsuta, trailing by 36.1 seconds, and Sébastien Ogier, 42.9 seconds back.

“Despite the puncture, we kept the pace and stayed focused,” said Rovanpera.

Ogier climbed from sixth to third but faces pressure from Elfyn Evans, just 1.5 seconds behind. Sami Pajari made it five Toyotas in the top five.

Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux dropped to sixth and seventh after punctures, while Ott Tänak’s hopes ended with a five-minute penalty for hitting a scrutineer.

(Source: AFP)