 Driving a Peugeot 206 WRC, he took his first WRC win at the Swedish Rally.The same year he finished fifth in the overall championship only eight points behind the winner, Richard Burns, despite missing two rallies.On 9 December 2001 Rovanperä also competed at the Race of Champions at Gran Canaria, and by winning the individual event and taking home the "Henri Toivonen Memorial Trophy", he earned the title of "Champion of Champions", he beat in the final stage the German driver Armin Schwarz.