Kalle Rovanpera set to leave WRC for circuit racing in 2026
9th October 2025Toyota confirmed Kalle Rovanpera will step away from rallying at the end of the current World Rally Championship season, to persue a ‘new challenge in motorsport.’
Feature image credit: Jaanus Ree // Red bull Content Pool
On Thursday, Toyota confirmed that their two-time World Rally Champion, Rovanpera will depart the sport at the end of the season in the pursuit of a new challenge in motorsports, after returning to the WRC full time.
Toyota and Rovanpera has confirmed that the Finnish driver will compete in the Japanese Super Formula Championship, supported by Toyota Gazoo Racing.
“This decision has not been an easy one, but it’s one that I have been thinking about for a while,” said Rovanpera. “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.
“It has been a tough decision, but it feels like the right one to pursue my next dreams and challenges. 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.
“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 we have a good plan to prepare in the best way possible and to try and make the most of it.
“Since I started driving as a small kid, it was my dream to be a WRC driver, to win a rally, and to become world champion. To have achieved all that at such a young age has been an incredible feeling, and a big thanks goes to TGR-WRT: we have done some really great things together and it has been a pleasure to work with such an amazing team.
“I also can’t thank Jonne enough for his help since our first days working together. Very big thanks too to all the fans who have been supporting us through all the ups and downs. We still have three rallies to go and we will give it everything and keep pushing until the end.”
In his young career, Rovanpera has achieved unprecedented success since he was given a chance at the premier class of rally racing in 2020, at 19 years old.
He secured his first maiden WRC event at Rally Estonia in 2021, at 20 years old, before he went on to secure his first title in 2022. The Finnish driver followed this up with his second, consecutive championship in 2023, finishing all but one of the 13 rounds inside the top four.
Despite a part-time season last year, Rovanpera took four victories in seven starts to help Toyota secure their fourth consecutive manufacturer’s championship.
“Kalle has already enjoyed a remarkable career in the WRC with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, becoming the youngest ever winner of a rally and then the youngest world champion, and winning the drivers’ title twice,” commented Toyota Team Principal, Jari-Matti Latvala.
“Given he has achieved so much and is still so young, it’s only natural that he would want to go for another challenge while he is able to do so. 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.
“TGR believes in helping drivers achieve their dreams and I don’t think there are many manufacturers who could give a driver that kind of opportunity, which is very exciting one for both sides.
“Kalle, together with Jonne, has played a big part in our team’s success over the last few seasons and, with three rallies left, I know he will certainly want to end his rally career as world champion – though he has two team-mates who also desperately want to win.
“We will miss having him in our team, but TGR has been working hard to develop talented young rally drivers and we can be confident that we will be able to count on a strong line-up of drivers in 2026 and beyond.”
As it currently stands, heading into the final three rounds of the 2025 season, Rovanpera is still mathematically within a chance of rounding off his rallying career with a third title for himself and co-driver Jonne Haltunnen.
With the Central European Rally up next, next week, Rovanpera current sits third in the drivers championship 21 points adrift of the current Toyota championship leader, and eight-time world champion, Sebastien Ogier.
Read more WRC here:
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
