The dream of Rovanperä
One of the most surprising news stories for rally fans last year was the decision of two-time World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä to leave the WRC and pursue a new adventure in single-seater racing. The 25-year-old Finnish driver, who also completed a test with Red Bull at Spielberg in 2024, will compete in the Super Formula championship this season, in addition to having already taken part in the latest edition of Formula Regional Oceania, where he secured a podium finish. The former Toyota driver’s dream is to eventually debut in Formula 1, accomplishing a mission that even rally legends like Colin McRae and Sébastien Loeb never fully achieved, despite having completed test sessions.
Early Finnish reactions
Curiously, Formula 1 was not the category that initially attracted Rovanperä as a child in the early years of his career, as he admitted in an interview with RacingNews365. In addition, the two-time world champion recalled being contacted by two former F1 World Champions shortly after announcing his retirement from rallying: “I received messages and calls from some of my friends in motorsport, like Mika Häkkinen,” he revealed. “I think he called me within the first half hour or hour. I know Mika well, and I’ve also spoken with Kimi Räikkönen.”
“As a child, I was never a huge F1 fan, or at least I didn’t follow it closely,” he continued. “Of course, I’ve always known these guys, like Häkkinen and especially Räikkönen—their style, the way they are, how they do things, which I’ve always admired, and their results. I will definitely ask them for some advice, because they know the world of single-seaters very well.”
Insights and preparations
Rovanperä, however, did not go into the details of his conversations with his Finnish compatriots, limiting himself to sharing the feelings experienced behind the wheel of an F1 car, while acknowledging the greater challenges: “We only talked about how exciting it is and they gave me some advice,” he concluded. “You have to work on your strength and your neck, because it’s very different from rallying, and I’ve already started training. We were discussing and thinking about when to do some tests, if I can ask for advice or help from the guys, or things like that. I’ve never really followed F1 closely and wasn’t a big fan, but over the past few years, as an adult, I’ve started following it more. I’ve begun to understand it better, I understand how difficult it is, and that has increased my respect for these guys even more. It has really made me start following this sport more closely.”
Kalle Rovanperä’s pursuit of a Formula 1 seat represents a fascinating bridge between two vastly different disciplines of motorsport. By enlisting the guidance of Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikkönen, Rovanperä is tapping into a wealth of Finnish racing wisdom that understands the unique transition from Nordic car control to the high-downforce precision required in single-seaters. As he tackles the 2026 Super Formula season, the physical demands on his neck and core will be his first major test, but the endorsement from two “Flying Finns” suggests that Rovanperä has the mental fortitude to challenge the historical trend of rally drivers struggling on the circuit. Whether he can succeed where McRae and Loeb fell short will be one of the most compelling subplots of the 2026 racing calendar.
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