There was a joyful yet hair-raising moment on Rally Finland that seemed to capture the essence of what makes this sport so good for the soul.
Kalle Rovanperä, the 21-year-old sensation who is on the verge of becoming the youngest ever World Rally Champion, was charging through the final special stage of the opening day when, for a split second, he almost lost control of his Toyota GR Yaris. The car slid towards the trees, but Rovanperä caught the moment, and beside him, amid his rapid fire of pace notes, co-driver Jonne Halttunen let out an adrenaline-fuelled "woohoo!" and a big grin momentarily spread across Rovanperä's face. All in the blink of an eye, before they settled back into the serious business of charging across Finland's fast gravel roads at speeds that beggar belief.
These crews live on the edge in the WRC, on every corner of every stage. Even cocooned within the enhanced safety cell of the modern hybrid Rally1 breed, the jeopardy is all too obvious. Yet the rush and sense of sheer elation is never far from the surface, and in Finland, on one of the world's greatest, most historic rallies, that spirit frequently cracked through the professional veneer. It helped that the 2022 edition turned out to be an enthralling modern classic thanks largely to the duel that played out between two fantastic drivers.
AN UNEXPECTED VICTORY
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MG 4
An EV changes your driving style - but not to the detriment of pleasure
PEUGEOT E-208
Time with our French hatch is up. Is it good riddance or au revoir?
In the hot seat
Is the best automotive job in the world actually in miniature scale? Hot Wheels' design boss assures STEPHEN DOBIE it is
Correcting the record
Autocar invented the road test back in 1928 - or did we? KEITH JONES trawls the past to find the true starting point
Road test rebooted
As the Autocar road test forges into its second century, its brief is expanding and it's returning to a familiar place. MATT SAUNDERS explains
Cyber attack
MG is back on the international stage and now trying to return to its sports car roots. MATT SAUNDERS sees if the Cyberster EV can match up to a rival from the present and a relation from the past
KIA PICANTO
As rivals fall by the wayside, Kia's popular city car gets a makeover
MASERATI GRANTURISMO
Latest coupé in a long line of Maserati GT cars hits the UK with V6 power
PORSCHE CAYENNE GTS COUPE
New V8 model gets all the goodies
TOYOTA PRIUS
Back by popular demand with a cool new look and greater driver appeal