At an event he's won for each of the past three years, Kalle Rovanperä again looks the man to beat in 2025
Photography by Toyota
Words by Luke Barry
On an event he’s dominated since 2021, Kalle Rovanperä again looks the man to beat in 2025 as he set the pace at the Rally Estonia shakedown.
As gravel season in the World Rally Championship continues deep into the summer, Estonia marks the first of two back-to-back high-speed events – two weeks ahead of the trip to Finland.
Elfyn Evans has just 12 points in-hand over his closest (present) title contender Tänak, who arrives at his home event in a rich vein of form.
But it wasn’t the home hero who set the timing screens alight, despite going fastest on the first run – which unusually was two hours after the first Rally2 cars, meaning the stage offered more grip than many drivers expected.
Instead it was Rovanperä who set a benchmark time of 1m56.3s – 0.9s clear of what next-fastest Takamoto Katsuta could manage.
“It’s so nice to be back here, my favorite race of the year,” said Rovanperä. “Obviously this year we’ve not had as good a feeling as it has been always before, but for sure this weekend we try to do something well.
“The feeling at the moment is not so bad, so obviously we will go for it and see what happens.”
World champion Thierry Neuville is often said to not like the fast rallies, but has never finished lower than fourth in the past three editions of Rally Estonia. He was the fastest Hyundai on shakedown with the third-best time, 0.5s faster than team-mate Tänak who did two runs instead of three.
Starting his first event in a Rally1 car since 2022 – and first ever with Toyota – Oliver Solberg was fifth fastest, just 0.3s adrift of Tänak.
“It’s just absolutely incredible,” Solberg beamed. “I mean what a car first of all. It’s just so nice to drive. Big smile!”
Mãrtiņš Sesks was the fastest M-Sport Ford in sixth, 0.1s down on Solberg but 0.4s ahead of Sami Pajari.
World championship leader Evans was only eighth best; a tenth off Pajari, with newly-married Hyundai driver Adrien Fourmaux a further 0.3s back.
Josh McErlean was 10th quickest, 0.3s faster than team-mate Grégoire Munster.
Fabrizio Zaldivar’s Škoda was the fastest Rally2 car, but of those registered for WRC2 points in Estonia it was Robert Virves who was quickest in his Fabia RS Rally2.
Words:Luke Barry
Tags: Rally Estonia, Rally Estonia 2025, Shakedown, WRC, WRC 2025
Publish Date July 17, 2025 DirtFish
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