Kalle Rovanpera says rallying will all the time maintain a particular place in his coronary heart after closing the chapter on a record-breaking World Rally Championship profession in favour of a transfer to single-seater racing.
A fairytale end to his WRC profession eluded the Toyota driver, who missed out on securing a 3rd world title, ending seventh on the Rally Saudi Arabia season finale after struggling a number of punctures.
Rovanpera’s title hopes had been slim, having entered the weekend 24 factors behind within the title race and in the end had to accept third within the championship behind winner Sebastien Ogier, who sealed a ninth world title, and runner-up Elfyn Evans.
“It was not likely something determined by driving mainly or not a lot not less than,” Rovanpera instructed Motorsport.com. “It was powerful and not likely one of the best feeling to conclude the profession, however it’s like this.”
The rally marked what’s more likely to be his final within the WRC for a while after making a daring resolution to give up the sequence for a profession in single-seaters. The transfer will kick off with a stint in Tremendous Formulation, in pursuit of the final objective of reaching Formulation 1.
The 25-year-old will depart the WRC as one in all its superstars and a fan favorite who produced jaw-dropping drives whereas ripping up the report e book. Via his profession, Rovanpera turned the youngest ever podium finisher, rally winner, world champion and double world champion over the course of 5 and half seasons.
The teenage prodigy made his WRC occasion debut in 2017, earlier than happening to win the WRC2 title in 2019, which led Toyota to signal the 20-year-old to its manufacturing unit staff in 2020. Throughout his interval within the sport’s high degree, Rovanpera, alongside co-driver Jonne Halttunen, claimed 18 wins, at a win price of just about 21%, inserting him alongside 1983 world champion Hannu Mikola and Jari-Matti Latvala. Rovanpera additionally racked up 30 podiums and 269 stage wins, profitable the world title in 2022 and 2023.
Leaving the championship that he says has been the “greatest a part of his life” to this point was an emotional expertise in Saudi Arabia.
Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photograph by: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing
“After all it’s unhappy, you understand rallying has been the largest a part of my life to this point. I’m going to overlook all of the individuals essentially the most for positive,” he mentioned. “I’ve to say, huge thanks to Jonne first in fact, we have had good instances collectively.
“I’ll miss all of the individuals you’re employed with, the staff and all of the individuals you see in all of the rallies and for positive you make buddies and I believe that is what I’m going to overlook essentially the most. The game itself will all the time be near my coronary heart. I nonetheless love rally driving and I believe I all the time will, however now it’s time for a brand new problem and a really totally different sort of problem. I’m able to do one thing totally different.”
Reflecting on his WRC profession, Rovanpera picked out the 2022 season when he claimed a maiden world title as his most cherished second. The Finn claimed six rally wins through the season as he turned the youngest ever world champion, aged 22, breaking the report beforehand held by Colin McRae by 5 years.
“I’d say it needs to be the primary championship, it’s a clear second. It was my solely objective. There was one factor I would like to realize and whenever you do that it’s the greatest factor. I’ve damaged fairly a couple of data being the youngest in lots of issues. We are going to all the time be happy with these issues and I’m tremendous happy with all the things we’ve got achieved.”
Rovanpera is prepared for greatest problem of his life
Whereas Rovanpera hasn’t dominated out making a rallying return sooner or later, he’s absolutely focussed on the following chapter of his profession as he makes an attempt to blaze a path in pursuit of reaching Formulation 1.
The journey will start in Tremendous Formulation subsequent 12 months together with his first take a look at arriving in December, earlier than tackling the Formulation Regional Oceania Trophy in New Zealand in January.
Kalle Rovanperä, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photograph by: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing
“I’m trying ahead to it lots. Clearly now we can be leaping into the deep finish. I believe the following two years would be the greatest problem of my life,” he mentioned.
“Rallying has all the time come naturally to me, now I actually need to work onerous. I would be the underdog each time I step into the automotive. I must [push] myself to study new issues. Nothing has come simple in rally, but it surely has come extra naturally. Now I should do one thing that I used to be not made for.
“I would like to start out from zero and whenever you do it if you find yourself 25 years previous it’s not simple, however that’s what I needed to do, to indicate that I’m courageous sufficient to do the step. I do know most individuals in my scenario would by no means do it since you fully put your self able the place you possibly can have unhealthy outcomes or it doesn’t work. However I’m not confused about that. No matter I do there I might be proud that I attempted. I’m positive I’ll succeed.
“In a single and half weeks would be the official Tremendous Formulation take a look at and seeing what we’ve got subsequent after which the entire of January in New Zealand.
“There can be rather more work than regular getting ready for Monte [Carlo, the 2026 WRC season-opener], in order that was the one unhappy half, I hoped after I give up I’d have a winter vacation however not now,” he smiled.
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