Toyota’s double World Rally Champion (WRC) Kalle Rovanperä announced that he would leave rallying and switch to circuit racing next year, with Formula 1 and Le Mans in his sights.
The 25-year-old Finn is in contention for a third rally title, with the season ending in Saudi Arabia next month, but will compete in Japan’s Super Formula single-seater series in 2026, which has been a springboard to both Formula 2and Formula 1 in the past.
Notably, current era drivers who raced in Japan's premier series include: Pierre Gasly, Stoffel Vandoorne, and Liam Lawson
Last week, Rovanpera, a Finn, who became the youngest-ever World Rally Champion in 2022, a day after his 22nd birthday said: “This decision has not been an easy one, but it’s one that I have been thinking about for a while. Having already achieved so much in rallying at this age, I started to think about what other possibilities I might have and what other challenges I would like to take on.
“I know that it’s jumping straight into the deep end, coming from rallying, but I’m really looking forward to it and together with TGR (Toyota Gazoo Racing) we have a good plan to prepare in the best way possible and to try and make the most of it.”
Rovanperä: I know we will go to Super Formula
Rovanperä, the son of former rally driver Harri Rovanperä, is the youngest winner of a World Championship rally, taking his first victory at the age of 21 in 2021.
He has already done some circuit racing, driving a Porsche in sportscar events in Europe last year while contesting a partial World Rally campaign. He also completed laps in a 2012 Red Bull Formula One car at Austria’s Red Bull Ring last year and told the dirtfish.com website that he wanted to compete at the highest level.
Rovanperä explained: “I know we will go to Super Formula, and after this we will work towards the next category step, which would be Formula 2, and we will see how everything goes. I cannot tell you now which will be my ultimate goal. I have told you it’s the highest level. Formula 1is the highest level, but obviously there are so many cool series and events in circuit racing.”
Toyota no longer have their own team in Formula 1, having pulled out at the end of 2009, but they maintain a technical partnership with Haas F1 Team. They are also multiple winners of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Rally driver to Formula 1 has never happened with any success
Toyota rally team boss Jari-Matti Latvala said it was only natural for the driver to want to try something else while still young enough: “We’ve seen racing drivers come and try rallying, but very rarely have we seen it the other way around.
"That a rally driver goes to circuit racing and tries to challenge the best, especially not in single-seater racing,” he said. “I don’t think there are many manufacturers who could give a driver that kind of opportunity, which is a very exciting one for both sides.”
Former Formula 1driver Kimi Räikkönen, the 2007 World Champion with Ferrari, competed in the World Rally Championship in 2010 and 2011.
Sébastien Loeb, the most successful rally driver of all time with nine titles, has raced at Le Mans and tested a Renault Formula 1 car in 2007 and with Red Bull in a post-season test in 2008.
The Frenchman’s pace was sufficiently impressive for him to be linked with a seat at Red Bull’s Toro Rosso team as a possible replacement for compatriot Sébastien Bourdais in 2009.
History shows other rally drivers who have tested or driven F1 cars include:
- Colin McRae: Drove a Jordan 196 in a 1996 publicity event.
- Sébastien Ogier: Tested a Red Bull RB7 in 2017.
- Petter Solberg: Drove a Ferrari F2005 in 2009.
- Tommi Mäkinen: Drove a Williams FW19 in 1998. (
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