Harri Rovanperä has determinedly driven to the forefront of the international rally scene since his first rally in 1989 in a Sunbeam Avenger. Harri surprised Finnish rally followers with his speed during 1991-1993, when he participated in the national group F driving a Ford Escort RS 2000.

Harri drove his first World Championship rally in 1993, when he was able to participate as scholarship driver in the 1000 Lakes' Rally. That rally ended due to a technical failure in his Opel Manta, but the next year Harri drove to third place in the 1000 Lakes' Rally with a group N Mitsubishi Galant. Harri took the Finnish championship in 1995 with an Opel Astra.

Since then he has built up competition experience internationally, winning for instance the Scotland Rally in a group N Mitsubishi.

In the fall of 1996 Harri participated in the Great Britain Rally with a Seat kit car, grabbing Seat the FIA 2-Litre World Rally Championship for Manufacturers. Seat won the Cup in 1997 and 1998 as well. During those years, Harri earned the team a total of nine 2-Litre wins in WRC rallies. He even earned a few drivers WRC points by coming in fifth overall in the 1998 Safari Rally.

During 1998-2000, Harri participated in about twenty WRC rallies in Seat WRC cars. He earned WRC points six times and in the 1999 Great Britain Rally even made it to the winner's podium.

Although Harri earned more WRC points with the Seat WRC cars than the rest of the team's drivers put together, Seat's WRC project didn't bring the success he was hoping for.

In the 2000 season, Harri only drove four WRC rallies. A fourth place in the Portugal Rally driven in a Toyota and a winning fight for third place in the Finland WRC Rally convinced the Peugeot team leaders and earned Harri the opportunity to do the WRC circuit in a competitive car.

Harri's Ace is Consistency

In 2001 and 2002, Harri participated in 20 rallies with factory car from the Peugeot team. Harri made the finish line seven times each year with a Peugeot, for a total of 14 finishes. Harri earned World Championship points in each of the 14 rallies he finished, taking a podium spot 9 times.

During his third season in Peugeot, in 2003, he got a fully equipped works team car for only nine rallies. Among those WRC events, the most successful for Harri was Cyprus where he finished second. Otherwise, the season didn't bring much success, neither for Harri, nor for Peugeot, even if the team was eventually second in constructors' championship. And Harri did take the win in the Rally Costa Smeralda.

For Harri, his fourth season at Peugeot was a big disappointment. The team and its new 307 WRC finished back in fourth in the World Championship.

Harri drove to his first WRC win in Sweden in 2001. Harri has taken second- and third-place spots in the WRC's most demanding rallies: the Safari Rally, the Greek Acropolis Rally, the Cyprus Rally, the Great Britain Rally, the Sweden Rally, his homeland Rally Finland and the high-speed Australia and New Zealand rallies.

By the end of the season 2004, Harri has made it onto the podium 14 times and has scored WRC drivers’ points in 32 events.

Harri has already celebrated a Manufacturers' Cup or WRC championship with teammates five times. Harri's target in his rallying career is to take the drivers' world championship title.