Kalle Rovanperä leaves the WRC to compete in Super Formula 2026

Kalle Rovanperä has announced he will leave the World Rally Championship at the end of 2025 to compete in Japanese Super Formula in 2026. The decision comes as the 24-year-old two-time world champion is currently third in the championship and in contention for a third title.

Rovanperä won world championships in 2022 and 2023, has 17 WRC victories, and is making the transition to single-seaters at the peak of his career. Toyota Gazoo Racing, his team since 2020, will continue to support him in this new chapter.

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This decision hasn't been easy, but it's something I've been thinking about for a while. Having 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, explained Rovanperä. It has been a difficult decision, but I feel it is the right one to pursue my next dreams and challenges.

Champion at 22, Double Champion at 23

Rovanperä became the youngest champion in WRC history in 2022 at 22 years and one day old. In his first full season with Toyota's hybrid Rally1 car, he won six out of 13 rallies. He repeated the championship in 2023 with notable consistency: he finished 12 out of 13 events inside the top four.

In 2024, he took a part-time year that allowed him to explore other categories. He competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup in Benelux and Italy, familiarizing himself with circuit cars and race dynamics different from rallying. In November of that year, he completed approximately 50 laps at the wheel of a Red Bull RB8 F1 car at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, his first real contact with a Formula 1 single-seater.

It was a great day. I was able to drive three different formula cars. I did quite a few laps and, of course, F1 was something I had been waiting for a long time, so it was really great to finally drive it, said Rovanperä about that experience. The day went well and left me with very good feelings. He added: The first time you sit there, it feels quite different than in a rally car; you also sit in such a different position that it feels quite different, but it was really great to be able to feel it today.

This year he returned to the full WRC calendar. He has won two rallies, including his first home victory at the Rally Finland, where he set the fastest pace in WRC history. He is currently third in the championship with 203 points, 21 behind leader Sébastien Ogier.

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The Next Stage: Japanese Super Formula

Rovanperä doesn't say it directly, but his statements are clear. In an interview with DirtFish he said: I can't tell you now what my ultimate goal will be. I've said it's the highest level. Formula 1 is the highest level, but obviously there are many interesting series and events in circuit racing.

Japanese Super Formula is one of the fastest single-seater categories outside of F1. From 2025, the championship awards 30 points towards the FIA Super Licence to the winner—a total of 40 points are needed to compete in F1. Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, and Stoffel Vandoorne competed in Super Formula before or after their F1 careers.

The cars use Dallara SF23 chassis with 2.0-liter turbocharged engines from Honda and Toyota. Races are held at circuits like Suzuka, Fuji, and Motegi. For Rovanperä, who has spent his entire professional career with Toyota, the manufacturer's connection to the series facilitates the logistics of the transition. Toyota has a strong presence in Super Formula, both as an engine supplier and in driver development programs.

It's special to have the support of Toyota Gazoo Racing from the start of this new challenge and to be able to race in Super Formula, said Rovanperä. I know it's jumping straight into the deep end, coming from rally, but I'm very motivated and together with Toyota we have a good plan to prepare as well as possible and try to make the most of it.

A Road Less Traveled

The transition from rally to single-seaters at the highest level is unusual in modern motorsport. The reverse path—from single-seaters to rally—has been more common. Robert Kubica moved from F1 to the WRC after his serious accident in 2011, although he eventually returned to F1 in 2019. Kimi Räikkönen competed in 22 WRC rallies between 2010 and 2011 before returning to F1.

But a rally driver attempting to reach F1 is considerably less frequent. At 24 years old, Rovanperä is attempting to build a second career in a sport where many drivers have already been in single-seaters for 15 years.

Jari-Matti Latvala, team principal of Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, explained: Given that he has achieved so much and is still so young, it's natural that he wants to go for another challenge while he can. We have seen circuit drivers come to try rallying, but we have very rarely seen it the other way around: a rally driver going to circuit racing and trying to challenge the best, especially in single-seaters.

Latvala also noted: Toyota Gazoo Racing believes in helping drivers achieve their dreams and I don't think there are many manufacturers that can give a driver that kind of opportunity, which is very exciting for both sides.

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He Can Win a Third Title Before Leaving

Rovanperä has three rallies ahead before closing his WRC career. The Central European Rally is on October 16, followed by the FORUM8 Rally Japan on November 6 and the Rally Saudi Arabia on November 27. Mathematically he can still win the championship, although he would need Ogier and Elfyn Evans, second with 222 points, to have problems.

Since I started driving when I was a little kid, my dream was to be a WRC driver, win a rally and become world champion, said Rovanperä. Having achieved all that at such a young age has been incredible, and a big thank you goes to Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT: we have done really great things together and it has been a pleasure to work with such an incredible team.

Rovanperä concluded: We still have three rallies ahead and we will give it our all and keep pushing until the end.

When Rovanperä gets into a Super Formula single-seater in 2026, he will face drivers who have spent their entire lives on circuits. He will have one year to close a gap that takes most a decade.