When Kalle Rovanperä announced his departure from the World Rally Championship at the end of 2025, he had big plans. The then 25-year-old wanted to continue his career in circuit racing and use the Japanese Super Formula as a path into international single-seater racing. But that never materialised.
After initial race outings in Formula Regional Oceania, Rovanperä had to cancel his planned Super Formula season before the first race. The reason were health problems, the true extent of which the Finn had so far spoken little about.
Dizziness under high lateral G-forces
Rovanperä suffered from positional vertigo, which became particularly noticeable in fast corners with high lateral forces. As he now explains, the symptoms occurred more often than had been publicly known.
"It wasn't actually planned that I would drive rallies again. In that sense we failed with our project. But if a project ends like that for health reasons, I can live with it. The dizziness occurred in corners with high G-forces more often than became publicly known. I couldn't change that," Rovanperä explains.
The decision to give up his Formula plans was not easy for him. In hindsight he considers it the right choice. His health took precedence, especially since he could hardly influence the symptoms himself.
"Of course it's disappointing, but I have made my peace with it. If you can't influence something, you don't have much choice. I accept it and life goes on. Sometimes it brings things you didn't expect," he says.
Rovanperä now describes the largely race-free 2026 season as a kind of personal restart. He is now fit again and has reached an agreement with Toyota for his return to the World Rally Championship.
Rallies, drifting and other projects
However, the 26-year-old will not contest a full WRC season in 2027. Together with co-driver Jonne Halttunen he will start selected rallies in the new Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. His team-mates at GAZOO Racing TOYOTA are Ott Tänak and Takamoto Katsuta.
A renewed chase for the world title is therefore not necessarily his main focus. After his two world championships in 2022 and 2023 he now wants to shape his career more freely.
"Of course as a driver you want to fight for the World Championship. But I already have two titles, so that's no longer my only goal. If I can spend a season with some rallies, drifting and other interesting projects, I really like that," the Finn says.
He also sees his future in circuit racing differently now. For a serious career in the formula classes there would likely be little time alongside the rally programme. He does not rule out other circuit appearances, however.
First experiences with the new Toyota
Rovanperä has already tested the GR Yaris Rally1 for 2027. Compared with the previous Rally1 generation, the new cars are less powerful due to the changed regulations. That this doesn't necessarily excite drivers, he can understand.
"If you ask a driver whether a slower car is more fun than a faster one, I don't think anyone would answer yes," Rovanperä says.
Nevertheless, he is confident that Toyota will develop a competitive car. He also expects the new cars to become noticeably faster as they are developed.
After a year that went completely differently than planned, Rovanperä is above all looking forward to competing regularly again. The sporting emphasis of his return has changed: the fun of driving and the opportunity to try different motorsport disciplines have become more important to him.
