Rovanperä is still in contention for this year’s title, sitting just 13 points behind Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans ahead of the final two events in Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Whether his season ends with another championship or not, Rovanperä is set to bow out of the WRC. Next year he will compete in Japan’s Super Formula series – a move designed as a stepping-stone towards Formula 2 and, ultimately, Formula One.
It will be a serious test for the Finn. He will face drivers who have spent years mastering the same circuits, while he has no real single-seater experience to draw upon. Talent alone will have to carry him in the early stages as he adjusts to an entirely new world of motorsport.
But even if things don’t go as planned on the formula path, Rovanperä has no shortage of opportunities. Toyota also runs a hugely successful programme in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), including the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans – and it’s an event that clearly interests him.
“Yes, obviously it’s also an option. This whole plan is open at the moment. So depending on how everything goes, there are so many possibilities,” Rovanperä said.
“That’s why we also want to start with proper fast single-seaters. If it goes well and we make progress, there are many options. And if I want to do something else, we could even be driving at Le Mans, in a hypercar or whatever,” he added.
Asked if competing at Le Mans could already happen next year, Rovanperä remained coy.
“Next year, we don’t know,” he replied.
Rovanperä’s next competitive outing comes next week when the penultimate round of the World Rally Championship takes place in Japan.
