Rovanpera fends off home rookie hope at Rally Latvia

World champion Kalle Rovanpera opened up an impressive lead at Rally Latvia on Friday ahead of home hope Martins Sesks who is racing in just his second elite class event.

Rovanpera, behind the wheel of a Toyota, was 15.7 seconds up on the 24-year-old Latvian who was fifth on debut in Poland last time out.

Overnight leaders after Friday's action 🏁#WRC | #TetRallyLatvia 🇱🇻 pic.twitter.com/x58VLsyvOL

— FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) July 19, 2024

Sesks grabbed his first-ever stage win on Friday's second stage, passing eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier in the process, and then backed it up with another fastest time on the next.

Ogier, in another Toyota, finished the day at 21.6sec off the lead in third place.

Rovanpera and Ogier are only racing in selected events in 2024.

World championship leader Thierry Neuville is more than a minute off the pace in his Hyundai, a consequence of having to open the race and perform the role of 'sweeper'.

STANDINGS:

1. Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (FIN/Toyota) 1:08:44.5, 

2. Martins Sesks/Renars Francis (LAT/Ford M-Sport) at 15.7 sec,

3. Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (FRA/Toyota) 21.6,

4. Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (JPN-IRL/Toyota) 33.2,

5. Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (FRA/M-Sport Ford) 38.5,

6. Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (EST/Hyundai) 38.8,

7. Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (GBR/Toyota) 52.7,

8. Gregoire Munster/Louis Louka (LUX-BEL/M-Sport Ford) 1:10.2,

9. Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL/Hyundai) 1:23.3