The Japanese rally season kicks off on Saturday with the Mikawawan rally, but Kovalainen will be watching from the sidelines. The Finnish driver explained on social media why he will miss the season’s opening event.
“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to join Rally Team AICELLO at the moment due to an unexpected medical issue,” Kovalainen wrote.
“Once I’ve got a plan in place to resolve it, then I will tell you all about it. In the meantime, best of luck to all my friends in Japan and looking forward to following our new Toyota Yaris Rally2,” he added.
Kovalainen clinched the Japanese championship in the 2022 and 2023 seasons driving a Skoda Fabia R5. For this season, he will be behind the wheel of Toyota’s latest Rally2 car in the land of the rising sun.
The opening race of the Japanese rally season will feature three new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 cars, driven by Norihiko Katsuta, Fumio Nutahara, and Katsuhiko Taguchi. Taguchi will be stepping in for Kovalainen in the competition.
Last year, Kovalainen also competed in the Finnish Rally Championship, but this year he will focus solely on Japan’s local series. It is possible that the former F1 driver will also appear in international tarmac rallies in Europe during the season.
