Rovanperä is competing in the Formula Regional Oceania Trophy in January, which features four intensive race weekends across New Zealand during the month.
The Finnish driver’s campaign got properly under way on Friday at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, where the schedule included three 30-minute practice sessions. Rovanperä immediately showed progress, improving his lap time by nearly half a second compared to Thursday’s test and placing 13th among the 19 drivers.
In the opening practice session, Rovanperä was 0.735 seconds off the fastest time. In the two subsequent sessions, the Finn was unable to get quite as close to the front.
In the second session, Rovanperä finished 18th, 1.135 seconds off the pace, while in the final practice he placed 17th, 1.348 seconds behind the leader.
Rovanperä, who stepped away from the World Rally Championship, is being followed particularly closely over the weekend. However, the Finnish star was keen to stress an important point.
“It’s going to be my first time ever in a regional car [Toyota FT-60], so something new to learn. Yeah, a lot of learning to do and much more driving to do to get used to everything,” Rovanperä told The New Zealand Herald.
“The main thing here [in New Zealand] is to get experience and race starts under my belt. The level of performance is not important; it’s about getting experience and time in these sorts of cars.”
Rovanperä has already demonstrated his championship-winning ability in the World Rally Championship, where he has claimed two world titles. In 2024, he also showcased his speed on circuits behind the wheel of a Porsche.
Now, however, he is competing in formula categories for the first time. The Oceanian single-seater series serves as preparation for Japan’s Super Formula championship, which begins for him in April.
“The biggest thing [difference] is the speed and downforce, and you have much more grip. The cars are much lighter than a rally car, so it’s much more like a go-kart in how it feels,” Rovanperä explained.
A total of four race starts will be contested at Hampton Downs over the weekend. The first qualifying session is scheduled for late Friday evening Central European Time.
