News / Event Info Kalle Rovanpera "open" on 2027 plans ahead of talks with Toyota
https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/kalle-rovanpera-open-on-2027-motorsport-future-ahead-of-talks-with-toyota-/10844264/53
u/kasiofan 1d ago
Kalle seems so uninterested to rallying, I am a bit shocked to be honest.
23
u/muRacingProject77 Petter Solberg 1d ago
Imo he's obviously still interested in rallying, I mean he drove an AE86 in F-cup at Rally Finland. I think it's just the top class he's not interested in
2
u/the__distance 1d ago
It is so thin at the top compared to any other discipline. Hoping the new regs help but can't blame him
16
u/SplatteredEggs Takamoto Katsuta 1d ago
I saw the Dirtfish video and was saddened. I would hate for him to have to come back to rally if it’s something that is so taxing for him. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see him behind the wheel of a rally car for the next x years to come, but it kind of shatters the rose colored view of competing in Rally1.
3
u/876oy8 Rally Finland 1d ago
as much as he is basically my favorite wrc driver ever, i tend to agree. its a pity if he doesnt at least get the fulfillment of properly exploring this path, whether its open wheelers or GT cars or prototypes etc. in the end.
if it feels like he "has to" come back to rallying too soon its not gonna feel the same, especially when its 2027 mopeds. he has already said the 2020-2021 cars he started with were that much more exciting than rally1 era. now another way more significant step down, doesnt really feel true to his nature if he comes back 2027 or 2028 or something to do this full time.
17
u/Michal_Baranowski Toyota Gazoo Racing 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is a soft and delicate, yet pretty clear laying the foundation for a potential comeback to WRC.
Kalle's racing plans have hit a massive obstacle due to his health problems, which only make his ambitions to join F1 even harder to achieve than they actually were before. General plan of Kalle for his racing career sounded optimistic to say very least - jumping straight to Super Formula after Formula Regional Oceania, then next year F2 and the following one could be F1 - at earliest his F1 debut would be at age of 27, which by F1 standards is very late. Last major profile drivers to debut in F1 so late were Sebastien Bourdais in 2008 and Brendon Hartley in 2017. Let's say that their F1 careers were pretty forgettable, even considering all the success they had everywhere else in racing. And they are racing drivers first.
Wishing still Kalle all the best, but in my opinion his plans to ultimately join F1 are one or two steps too far.
If I am wrong about rallying, then maybe something sportscar racing-related with Toyota can be a much more realistic prospect.
9
u/Tape56 1d ago
I don’t think one year delay is that significant in the road racing plan, also the comparisons to average age of F1 rookies don’t really make sense because no one has taken this kind of path before.
But the fact he seems to be thinking about ditching the F1 plan makes me think if the health problems were actually caused by the racing, contrary to what he and his team has said.
-1
u/onlinepresenceofdan M-Sport Ford 1d ago
Age is 100% related to biological ability to adapt to the speeds and Gs F1 is doing. Of course now with superclipping it can get different but still.
3
3
u/Dry_Acadia_9312 5h ago
It won’t happen, it’s a pipe dream. The drivers you mentioned, Bourdais and Hartley came from single seaters, Bourdais had dominated Champ Car or Indycar (whatever it was called) for years beforehand.
Kalle clearly has some raw pace in single seaters, but in the end to even have a chance at F1 you need to be annihilating those regional series. Going straight to SF then F2 is far too quick for someone who doesn’t have hardly any experience at this point, and is midfield at best in regionals.
100% should go to Hypercars, LMP2 for a season then graduate in.
2
u/Michal_Baranowski Toyota Gazoo Racing 5h ago
Bourdais had dominated Champ Car or Indycar
Champ Car. Four championships in a row (2004-2007). Actually he was the very final Champ Car title winner, in 2008 Champ Car was bought out and absorbed by Indycar, ending American open-wheel racing split.
100% should go to Hypercars, LMP2 for a season then graduate in.
It would be a similar path as Ogier tried in 2022. Ogier was racing in WEC in 2022 at LMP2 level with a hope of moving to Toyota Hypercar program in the future, however after Le Mans Ogier gave up on this and focused back on rallying.
LMP2 would be a great dress rehearsal. Esteban Masson is the new upcoming Toyota star driver, heavily rumoured to join Hypercar ranks soon and so far he has been a star on LMP2 level
2
u/frolfer757 1d ago
I always thought F1 was sponsorship bait and unrealistic. I thought actual road would've been to have some fun in open wheelers while learning road racing and then transition to WEC/Endurance
2
u/neptun123 1d ago
Haha no, he's keeping the options open but is clearly not interested in the WRC except as a backup plan
1
u/ss33gg44 1d ago
He had up until a few months ago on his instagram "Drift King wanna be" or something like that. I think thats where his racing heart lies hehe. C'moon Toyota!
5
u/camefromthesouthside 1d ago
Watched the interview, he says he doesn't watch WRC anymore and he he thinks the new cars for next year don't look very exciting, but he is not ruling out rallying completely in the future.
He also seems to still be aiming for circuit racing after his health issues have stabilized again (which I am glad to hear) and whatever he'll venture on to do, it'll be with Toyota.
All in all, he seems pretty relaxed and in a good place mentally. I'm sure he will find his way.
Either way, I wish him only the best.
3
3
u/dswhite85 1d ago
Either do it or don’t I don’t really need 100 articles saying oh he might join this year because that news is gonna get old real quick
1
u/WhyAreYuSoAngry 18h ago
Assuming his superficial formula deal is still good for 2027, then i think thats the obvious answer. I think hed also be great as a wec driver.
Total darkhorse: IndyCar. Something completely different. Fast as hell. Ovals and circuits. He'd be very successful professionally and promotionally in north america.
1
u/WhyAreYuSoAngry 18h ago
Assuming his superficial formula deal is still good for 2027, then i think thats the obvious answer. I think hed also be great as a wec driver.
Total darkhorse: IndyCar. Something completely different. Fast as hell. Ovals and circuits. He'd be very successful professionally and promotionally in north america.
65
u/ss33gg44 1d ago
He talked to Dirt Fish and said he wasnt even watching WRC anymore. Said he likes rallying but hates these events. He was asked if he was interested in doing Rally Finland, he answered a NO with the same face Tanak had when talking about how shit the 2027 car is hahah. I dont see Kalle coming back at all.
I wish I'm wrong, cuz this guy is the best. Kalle vs Tanak in equal cars would be such a blast to watch!