WATCH: Max Verstappen of World Rally Championship Kalle Rovanperä narrowly escapes potentially FATAL racing accident at Finland

Kalle Rovanperä's pursuit of Secto Rally Finland glory ends in a dramatic flip.

WATCH: Max Verstappen of World Rally Championship Kalle Rovanperä narrowly escapes potentially FATAL racing accident at Finland

Max Verstappen (Credits: Daily Express) and Kalle Rovanperä's wrecked Toyota (Credits: @Moni_Maldonado/Twitter)

Reigning WRC champion Kalle Rovanperä had his dreams of securing a maiden Secto Rally Finland victory dashed in a dramatic turn of events on Friday afternoon. The young Finnish driver, piloting his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, suffered a setback when his car flipped over on its roof just 11.1km into the second pass of the iconic Myhinpää stage.

Despite the unfortunate incident, Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen were fortunately unharmed. However, the extensive damage to their car forced them to retire from the rally.

YouTube video

Before the mishap, Rovanperä exhibited exceptional control. He dominated the rally by clinching five consecutive stage wins. He also builds an impressive 5.7-second lead over his teammate, Elfyn Evans, despite the disadvantage of starting first on the road.

FS Video

However, during the second pass of the fast and challenging Myhinpää gravel test. A rare error by the 22-year-old prodigy led to his GR Yaris rolling onto its roof, causing the untimely end to his pursuit of victory.

Also read: Max Verstappen names his best Grand Prix triumph from the first half of the 2023 season

Kalle Rovanperä and Max Verstappen’s mirroring paths to stardom

In 2015, Max Verstappen made a remarkable entry into F1, becoming its youngest driver at 17 years and 166 days. He has since broken multiple records, such as being the youngest driver to win championship points, lead a lap, and win an F1 race. Similarly, Kalle Rovanperä, a talented 20-year-old Finnish driver in WRC, was impressed by becoming the youngest-ever winner of a WRC round at Rally Estonia in 2022. Their common traits and backgrounds have played a pivotal role in their journeys to success.

Kalle Rovanperä, the promising WRC star, and Max Verstappen, the accomplished F1 driver, share a racing heritage as the offspring of renowned drivers. Kalle’s father, Harri Rovanperä, earned fame with 77 stage wins and a WRC victory. Max’s father, Jos Verstappen, excelled in F1 and other series. The father-son bond, parental guidance, and natural talent shaped their impressive journeys.

In the cutthroat world of Formula One, where limited seats attract fierce competition for talent and resources, Max Verstappen’s outstanding abilities set him on a path to potential dominance at just 17. Similarly, in WRC’s equally demanding landscape, Kalle Rovanperä’s early rallying achievements earned him a spot at Toyota by age 19, highlighting their remarkable dedication to motorsport from a tender age.

Kalle Rovanperä made history by becoming the 2022 FIA World Rally Champion at just 22 years old, marking an unforgettable milestone in his career. Similarly, Max Verstappen achieved his first Formula One world title in 2021, at the age of 23, during his seventh season in the sport. Both drivers accomplished remarkable feats from a young age.

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