Sebastien Ogier will be among those cheering on Kalle Rovanpera as he tackles the “huge” challenge posed by making the transition from the World Rally Championship to single-seater racing in 2026.
Eight-time world rally champion Ogier is no stranger in switching to top level circuit racing, having swapped the stages for the World Endurance Championship in 2022, which culminated in a drive to ninth in class at the Le Mans 24 Hours in a Richard Mille Racing LMP2 prototype.
Now, Rovanpera will become the next WRC star to set their sights on competing at the highest level of circuit racing, although the Finn’s plan is to climb the single-seater ladder – with the ultimate goal being Formula 1.
Rovanpera announced last week that he will leave the WRC at the end of the season and contest the 2026 Super Formula season in Japan. The 25-year-old’s only previous circuit racing experience came in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux and Italy last year, where he won three races in the former.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Ogier admitted the only surprise in Rovanpera’s 2026 decision was that his destination was Super Formula.
Kalle Rovanpera, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Photo by: Toyota Racing
“I kinda knew it for a while so it was not really a surprise for me, but let’s say the programme in Super Formula I didn’t know, and the truth is I questioned my team and asked if they had made a mistake and meant Super GT,” said Ogier, who is currently locked in battle for the WRC title with Toyota team-mates Elfyn Evans and Rovanpera. “But it was Super Formula, so that is a big step, but again it is nice for him to have the opportunity to go for it.
“I think we are all agreed to say it is a huge challenge he is facing, but at the same time a huge opportunity to try something very different and very new.
“Like I told him, if you have the chance why not, just go for it you don’t have much to lose. The pure statistic guys will say that he has the chance to achieve amazing results in rally, but it looks like that is not what he is interested in at the minute.
“At the end of the day, if he is more happy going there then that is the right decision for him. We will all follow it very closely and be cheering for him.
“It is a big challenge. It is a bit like the approach I had when I went to Le Mans, I knew it would be hard and I knew the easier thing for a rally driver would be to go to Dakar as there is a very good chance you can be competitive there, but I was not interested in that.
“I was attracted by the challenge like Kalle is. I was talking about WEC and he is talking about Formula 1, which is an even higher challenge. It is clear that it won’t be easy, but I think the capacity to get close quickly is normally there for a rally driver, but it is always the last bit which is important.”
Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photo by: Toyota Racing
Rovanpera can become one of the best drivers ever
Rovanpera’s decision to effectively quit rallying came as a huge surprise to Evans, who believes his team-mate has an opportunity to achieve something and join motor racing’s all-time greats.
“Of course, I was surprised that it was such a clean break from rallying that was the biggest shock,” Evans told Motorsport.com. “Obviously it is a very bold move and it takes a lot of guts to walk away from a position where he is very strong in the World Rally Championship and so something completely different is bold. I wish him all the best, and he is young enough so why not?
“I think if Kalle can be successful, it shines a lot of light on him that he can be adaptable. We have already seen that he is pretty handy in a race car already but obviously it is going to be an interesting one to follow.
“It won’t be easy going up against guys that have been karting at five or six years old. It is all the racecraft and everything else. I’m sure he will do pretty well. If he can be successful it is going to shine a lot of light on himself as one of the best drivers ever.”
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