Kalle Rovanperä is still struggling with Hankook’s new slick tires at the Rally Monte-Carlo: Why it’s difficult to find a quick solution
Two-time World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä needs to adapt his driving style to exploit the full potential of the new Hankook dry-weather tires in the World Rally Championship (WRC).
At the Monte-Carlo Rally this weekend, Rovanperä is struggling with the new slick tires from Hankook. The South Korean company replaced Pirelli as tire supplier this season.
“I think it’s pretty clear that my usual driving style doesn’t work so well with the slick tires,” says Rovanperä. ”We didn’t really have clean, dry asphalt tracks during my test or at the Rally Devoluy last year. It’s obvious that my natural driving style is not optimal with these tires.”
Accordingly, the Rally Monte-Carlo was also a kind of test under competitive conditions for the Finn. Rovanperä reported on Friday evening: “We made a few small changes to the set-up, which improved things a bit in the afternoon, but it still wasn’t enough.”
“On snow and with studded tires, the pace looks good, but as soon as we put on slicks, it becomes more difficult,” said the Finn. ”We have to find the pace there.”
Rovanperä experienced similar difficulties in Monte Carlo when switching to the 2022 Rally1 car concept. However, he managed to adapt quickly and finish fourth at the time, before dominating the season.
When asked whether a solution would be possible this weekend or whether more time was needed, the Finn replied: “Of course we’ve done it before [Monte Carlo 2022], but back then it was more about the car’s set-up. Here the car feels good, but the question is how to be fast on the tires.”
The fact that the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 basically harmonizes well with the new Hankook tires is proven by Rovanperä’s teammates Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans, who are currently ranked first and second after 13 special stages, while Rovanperä is already 46.5 seconds behind in fifth place.
