Kalle Rovanpera is satisfied with his performance in the just concluded WRC Safari Rally in Naivasha despite not winning the race.
The Finnish failed to replicate his 2022 form that saw him crowned the champion.
Rovanpera finished second behind eventual winner Sebastien Ogier. He accrued 16 points from the four-day competition in Nakuru County.
He now leads the Driver's championship with 41 points after seven rounds.
“With the second place finish, we still scored good points for the championship. I stuck to my plan for the whole weekend. I drove with good pace but not taking huge risks. It felt nice finishing runners-up," Rovanperä said.
After finishing fourth for three times earlier in the season, the defending drivers' champion has enjoyed three consecutive podium finishes in Portugal, Italy and Kenya.
Rovanpera, 22, won the Malewa stage to reduce the gap to 8.6sec with Ogier but still failed to beat the french driver.
"The battle with Séb got quite tight at the end and when you miss out on the win by a small margin like that, then it’s not always the best feeling for a driver," Rovanpera added.
“We didn’t really take crazy risks. My vehicle was in perfect condition. The plan was to be quick and keep on pressing to keep the pressure on my rivals."
He acknowledged that deep sand and ruts made the penultimate day and stage really tough. However, he was thrilled that Toyota cars managed a clean sweep once more in Kenya despite the challenges the Safari Rally posed.
