Kalle Rovanperä vaulted to the top of the FIA World Rally Championship standings with a dominant Vodafone Rally de Portugal victory on Sunday afternoon, solidifying his second consecutive triumph at the Matosinhos-based event. Rovanperä seized control of the rally when Tänak suffered wheel damage on Friday afternoon, establishing a slender 10.7-second lead by the end of the opening leg. “It has been too long coming, but finally we are back,” Rovanperä said. Esapekka Lappi made it two i20 N cars inside the top three, scoring his second podium finish in as many rallies. The latter had led by 35.4 seconds overnight before being lumbered with a one-minute time penalty.

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