World Rally champion Kalle Rovanpera’s hopes of reaching Formula 1 have taken a heartbreaking knock, as health issues have forced him to sit out a campaign in Super Formula this year.
The 25-year-old Finn stunned the rally world in his brief stint competing in the WRC between 2017 and 2025, scoring 18 wins from 86 starts, and two world titles with Toyota.
After finishing third in the 2025 WRC, Rovanpera announced his retirement from rallying in order to pursue a single-seater career with the ultimate aim of reaching F1.
He was due to campaign the 2026 Super Formula series in Japan with Toyota backing, but suffered from vertigo during testing late last year and had to withdraw.
He competed in the Formula Regional Ociana series in January, scoring a podium, and was back behind the wheel of a Super Formula car in testing earlier this year.
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However, he has continued to battle health issues, with Toyota announcing on Saturday that it has been led “to pause his participation in this year’s Super Formula season”
“I would like to share some difficult news: Kalle Rovanpera will be stepping back from the upcoming races,” a statement from Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda read.
“He has poured his heart into challenging himself in formula cars, driven by a deep and unwavering desire to grow.
“Every time he got on track in private tests, his speed was clear to see.
“I watched him push harder, find something new within himself, and trim his lap times again and again.
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“Yet despite that passion and progress, his body was struggling to keep up.
“After receiving a medical evaluation, we reached the painful conclusion that continuing to compete would not be the right choice for him.
“As Morizo, this decision weighed heavily on me. I asked myself what it truly means to let him chase speed, and what it means to protect someone you believe in.
“In the end, balancing those responsibilities led me to pause his participation in this year’s Super Formula season.
“To everyone involved, and to all the fans who have supported him with such warmth, I am truly sorry that we could not meet your hopes.
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“But please believe this: his circuit racing challenge is far from over. His love for cars and his drive to become faster will not fade.
“As Morizo, I will continue to stay by his side — not only as a fellow driver, but as a team-mate who believes in him with all my heart. Thank you for your continued and heartfelt support.”
Rovanpera issues statement on Super Formula setback
Rovanpera took to his social media on Saturday morning to share his own statement, vowing to “come back stronger”.
“I have difficult news to share. I will be stepping back from the upcoming races and my participation in this year’s Super Formula season,” he said.
“I’ve been working with medical issues for already a longer period, which have gotten worse this year.
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“My health doesn’t allow me to continue safely at the moment. Now my first priority is to fix that.
“Feedback and progress this year show that there’s good potential in this project.
“My chapter in circuit racing isn’t finished. I’m more than sorry for those who hoped to see me on track.
“I’m looking forward to see you all soon as possible! I’m grateful to Morizo, TGR and my partners for their care and for standing by me, and I’ll keep working hard to come back stronger.
“Thank you for your understanding and your continued support.”
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Bottas backed Rovanpera as a “super talent”
Valtteri Bottas backs “super talent” Rovanpera
During this year’s Australian Grand Prix, Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas branded fellow Finn Rovanpera as a “super talent” and had “no doubt” of seeing “big improvements” in his single-seater switch.
“With Kalle, it’s going to be very interesting to follow somebody coming from World Rallying to single-seaters,” he said.
“That’s a big jump. And again, I think the next two years will really show in which direction that is going to go.
“But no doubt we’ll see big improvement in his journey in single-seaters.
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“It’s going to be hard work, but again I think he’s one of those super talents when it comes to driving that anything is possible.”
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