After a great Power Stage win in Swedish WRC event many rally fans thought that Rovanpera is youngest ever WRC special stage winner.

But he isn't, it's Russian Evgeniy Novikov who doesn't drive for years. Can you believe taht guy who is only 29 already retired from the top of the sport?! Yeah, that's because of the sick stuff in WRC that was present for lot of years and it is called paying drive.

I know that this is very popular these days in Formula 1 but in rallying it kinda 'normal' for the last 16 years. The first time I heard for this term of paying drive was when Mikko Hirvonen took drive from Colin McRae at Subaru in 2004 (replacement of ill Richard Burns) because Hirvonen's manager Timo Jouhki payed that drive.

I must say that this sick in sport that there is no pure talent in the sport, then a talent with money.

But that is how it is these days in every sport it seems. Sick of that.

So, Novikov is the youngest WRC special stage winner and young Kalle Rovanpera is inly 5th youngest future sat winner.

I found a table of the youngest special stage winners in WRC.

photo and video from WRC and youtube