Kalle Rovanpera says rallying will always hold a special place in his heart after closing the chapter on a record-breaking World Rally Championship career in favour of a move to single-seater racing.
A fairytale finish to his WRC career eluded the Toyota driver, who missed out on securing a third world title, finishing seventh at the Rally Saudi Arabia season finale after suffering several punctures.
Rovanpera’s title hopes were slim, having entered the weekend 24 points behind in the title race and ultimately had to settle for third in the championship behind winner Sebastien Ogier, who sealed a ninth world title, and runner-up Elfyn Evans.
“It was not really anything decided by driving basically or not much at least,” Rovanpera told Autosport. “It was tough and not really the best feeling to conclude the career, but it is like this.”
The rally marked what is likely to be his last in the WRC for some time after making a bold decision to quit the series for a career in single-seaters. The move will kick off with a stint in Super Formula, in pursuit of the ultimate goal of reaching Formula 1.
The 25-year-old will leave the WRC as one of its superstars and a fan favourite who produced jaw-dropping drives while ripping up the record book. Through his career, Rovanpera became the youngest ever podium finisher, rally winner, world champion and double world champion over the course of five and half seasons.
The teenage prodigy made his WRC event debut in 2017, before going on to win the WRC2 title in 2019, which led Toyota to sign the 20-year-old to its factory team in 2020. During his period in the sport’s top level, Rovanpera, alongside co-driver Jonne Halttunen, claimed 18 wins, at a win rate of almost 21%, placing him alongside 1983 world champion Hannu Mikola and Jari-Matti Latvala. Rovanpera also racked up 30 podiums and 269 stage wins, winning the world title in 2022 and 2023.
Leaving the championship that he says has been the “biggest part of his life” so far was an emotional experience in Saudi Arabia.
Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photo by: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing
“Of course it is sad, you know rallying has been the biggest part of my life so far. I’m going to miss all the people the most for sure,” he said. “I have to say, big thank you to Jonne first of course, we’ve had good times together.
“I will miss all the people you work with, the team and all the people you see in all the rallies and for sure you make friends and I think that is what I’m going to miss the most. The sport itself will always be close to my heart. I still love rally driving and I think I always will, but now it is time for a new challenge and a very different kind of challenge. I’m ready to do something different.”
Reflecting on his WRC career, Rovanpera picked out the 2022 season when he claimed a maiden world title as his most cherished moment. The Finn claimed six rally wins during the season as he became the youngest ever world champion, aged 22, breaking the record previously held by Colin McRae by five years.
“I would say it has to be the first championship, it is a clear moment. It was my only goal. There was one thing I need to achieve and when you do that it is the biggest thing. I have broken quite a few records being the youngest in many things. We will always be proud of those things and I’m super proud of everything we have achieved.”
Rovanpera is ready for biggest challenge of his life
While Rovanpera hasn’t ruled out making a rallying return in the future, he is fully focussed on the next chapter of his career as he attempts to blaze a trail in pursuit of reaching Formula 1.
The journey will begin in Super Formula next year with his first test arriving in December, before tackling the Formula Regional Oceania Trophy in New Zealand in January.
Kalle Rovanperä, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photo by: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing
“I’m looking forward to it a lot. Obviously now we will be jumping into the deep end. I think the next two years will be the biggest challenge of my life,” he said.
“Rallying has always come naturally to me, now I really need to work hard. I will be the underdog every time I step into the car. I need to [push] myself to learn new things. Nothing has come easy in rally, but it has come more naturally. Now I have to do something that I was not made for.
“I need to start from zero and when you do it when you are 25 years old it is not easy, but that is what I wanted to do, to show that I’m brave enough to do the step. I know most people in my situation would never do it because you completely put yourself in a position where you can have bad results or it doesn’t work. But I’m not stressed about that. Whatever I do there I can be proud that I tried. I’m sure I will succeed.
“In one and half weeks will be the official Super Formula test and seeing what we have next and then the whole of January in New Zealand.
“There will be much more work than normal preparing for Monte [Carlo, the 2026 WRC season-opener], so that was the only sad part, I was hoping when I quit I would have a winter holiday but not now,” he smiled.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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