Rovanpera and co-driver Jonne Halttunen secured a maiden world crown with a faultless run across the four days of competition on New Zealand’s famous gravel roads that rejoined the World Rally Championship for the first time since 2012.
The pair took the win by 34.6 seconds from Toyota team-mate and outgoing world champion Sebastien Ogier, while Hyundai’s Ott Tanak, Rovanpera’s chief title rival, finished third, 48.5s adrift. A fifth victory from starting first on the road, joins the Finn’s triumphs in Sweden, Croatia, Portugal, Kenya and Estonia.
