Kalle Rovanperä is youngest WRC champion at 22
Finnish driver breaks Colin McRae's record for being youngest-ever WRC champion
The World Rally Championship has crowned a new king – and his first name is not Sebastien.
Toyota Gazoo Racing's Kalle Rovanperä won at the Repco Rally New Zealand. And after posting the fastest time in the final Wolf Power Stage, he's scored enough points to become the 2022 WRC Driver's Champion with two more rounds to spare.
Rovanperä takes the crown from his teammate, eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier, who is no longer doing full-time WRC duties. Ogier and Rovanperä secured a 1-2 finish for Toyota Gazoo Racing and the GR Yaris rally car.
At just 22 years and one day old, the Finnish driver breaks the long-standing record of WRC legend by quite a big margin. The late Colin McRae previously held the distinction when he won the 1995 title aged 27 years and 89 days.
Rovanperä taking the WRC by storm may even be called an understatement. The young Finn sealed the title in only his third full season and has a total of 8 wins so far under his belt. His latest victory in New Zealand happened at just his 30th start in top-flight WRC level. In addition, Kalle Rovanperä has also ended the WRC title drought for Finland, as he's the first Finnish driver to win the title since Marcus Grönholm in 2002.
It was also the first time in 10 years that the Rally New Zealand has been held, but the wait was worth it. The iconic event has officially marked its return by crowning a new Flying Finn in rallying. WRC's new era has indeed begun.
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