Kalle Rovanpera to retire from WRC at end of 2025 season
Rovanpera to switch from rallying to single seater formula racing
The World Rally Championship’s youngest-ever podium finisher, winner, and world champion is set to leave the sport at the end of this season.
Two-time WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera has announced he will be leaving the WRC to embark on a career in racing single seaters at Japan’s Super Formula series, putting an end to a short yet very impressive WRC career that netted 17 victories and two world titles.
Rovanpera joined Toyota Gazoo Racing’s WRC squad in 2020 after winning the WRC2 title in 2019. The young Finn then went on to claim back-to-back world titles in 2022 and 2023, a period where WRC rally cars featured hybrid systems. Rovanpera became champion at just 22 years old, smashing the record set by Colin McRae who was crowned WRC champion in 1995 at the age of 27.
In a partial campaign last year, Rovanpera and co-driver Jonne Haltunen claimed four victories in seven rallies, helping TGR-WRT to secure its 4th consecutive manufacturers’ title.
Currently, Rovanpera is still on the hunt for a third world title as he’s just 21 points behind championship leader and Toyota teammate Sebastien Ogier with just three rounds to go. The 25-year old Rovanpera won the Rally Islas Canarias and his home event in Rally Finland this year.
After this season, Rovanpera will still continue his association with Toyota Gazoo Racing as he switches to Super Formula.
Toyota Gazoo Racing is yet to announce his replacement for next season, though team principal Jari-Matti Latvala is confident of landing another strong lineup of drivers for 2026. That could include another second-generation driver in Oliver Solberg, the son of 2003 WRC champion Petter Solberg. The young Norwegian impressed on a one-off drive this season onboard the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 after winning Rally Estonia, and has been recently crowned WRC2 champion on board the Rally2 version of the GR Yaris.
