The two-time World Rally Champion will make a bold career switch at the end of this season. The Finnish star will leave the World Rally Championship and compete in Japan’s Super Formula series in 2026.
Rovanperä’s long-term dream is to move on to Formula 2 after that, as part of his ambitious path towards the ultimate goal – Formula One.
Earlier this week, Rovanperä tested an F2 car in Jerez, Spain. It wasn’t, however, his first taste of a single-seater: last year he got behind the wheel of Red Bull’s 2012 F1 car, as well as an F4 and a Formula Renault 3.5 machine.
“I think it was more a point where obviously it was a media day. It was not a real performance test. I didn’t really have so many laps in the cars, but having a new tyre set with an F1 car and four proper fast laps at the end of the day, for sure that gave the idea that I want to see how good I can be in this kind of driving,” Rovanperä recalled.
The Japanese Super Formula series will provide an instant test. It is no ordinary championship – many current and former Formula One drivers have competed on Japan’s technical circuits.
Super Formula cars exceed 300 km/h and are closer in performance to F1 machinery than to F2 cars.
Rovanperä knows he will need time to adapt when the season begins in the spring.
“I will be starting basically from zero, so I will be far away in the beginning. I know it,” he underlined.
“I’m prepared mentally that I will get my ass kicked for sure in the beginning, and that’s how it should be. If it weren’t like this, it would be a bit weird.”
Still, the Finn clearly relishes the challenge.
“I like this challenge. I like to really take it on and start to push myself again from zero and learn some new skills, so it will be interesting.”
Rovanperä is still fighting for this season’s World Rally Championship crown, with the penultimate round taking place in Japan next week.
