Harri Rovanperä

__NOTOC__WRC driver
Name = Harri Rovanperä


Caption = Rovanperä in 2005.
Nationality = flagicon|FIN Finnish
Years = 1993 – 2006
Teams = SEAT, Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Škoda
Races = 111
Championships = 0
Wins = 1
Podiums = 15
Stagewins = 77
Points = 171
First race = 1993 1000 Lakes Rally
First win = 2001 Swedish Rally
Last race = 2006 Wales Rally GB

Harri "Rovis" Rovanperä (Jyväskylä, 1966) is a Finnish rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 1993 to 2006. He drove for SEAT (1997–00), Peugeot (2001–04), Mitsubishi (2005) and Red Bull Škoda Team (2006). Rovanperä was known as a gravel specialist.

Career

Rovanperä won the small Group A Finnish Rally Championship title in 1995 at the wheel of an Opel Astra. After a few outings on his national World Rally Championship event Rally Finland, he was hired by SEAT, which he helped win the Formula 2 title. In 2001, he was hired by Peugeot. Driving a Peugeot 206 WRC, he took his first WRC win at the Swedish Rally. [cite web | title=Rovanpera hits big time in Sweden | work=BBC | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/in_depth/2001/world_rally_2001/1163662.stm | accessdate=2008-01-23] The same year he finished fifth in the overall championship only eight points behind the winner, Richard Burns, despite missing two rallies. He also competed at the Race of Champions, and by winning the individual event and taking home the "Henri Toivonen Memorial Trophy", he earned the title "Champion of Champions".

In the 2002 season, competing for Peugeot in gravel rallies and for Bozian Racing in four tarmac rallies, Rovanperä finished seventh overall and gathered four podium places. In 2003 and 2004, he drove for Peugeot in gravel rallies. In 2005, Rovanperä switched to Mitsubishi's factory team and competed a full WRC programme, finishing seventh in the drivers' world championship. After Mitsubishi suddenly left the series before the 2006 season, Rovanperä signed on to drive Škoda Fabia WRC for Red Bull Škoda Team in six events.

In 2007, Rovanperä was a regular competitor of the SRC Finnish Rallycross Championship with a rear-wheel driven Ford Focus as well as a Volvo S40, but finished only 11th overall. He had many technical problems with both cars.

WRC victories

:

References

External links

* [http://www.rovanpera.com/ Official website]