Rovanperä contested his final WRC rally for the time being last weekend in Saudi Arabia. The Finnish driver had to settle for seventh place, finishing third in the final championship standings.
While other World Rally Championship stars will soon begin their preparations for the 2026 season-opening Rallye Monte Carlo, Rovanperä is stepping into a new world. The Finnish star will compete next year in Japan’s Super Formula series, which begins in April.
But Rovanperä will get an early taste of the powerful single-seater next week. The Super Formula series has confirmed that he will take part in the test sessions at Suzuka Circuit from 10–12 December.
Rovanperä therefore faces an intensive three-day testing schedule, after which he will briefly switch off for Christmas.
“It will be much more work than before normal Monte. So that’s the only sad part,” Rovanperä joked.
“I was hoping when I quit I have a winter holiday. But not now,” he said.
After the Christmas break, Rovanperä will embark on a long trip to New Zealand, where he will compete in the Formula Regional Oceania series.
“I will be in New Zealand for the whole of January. So it will be a busy winter,” Rovanperä summed up.
Rovanperä will compete in New Zealand with the Hitech TGR team. The series features four consecutive race weekends starting from 9 January, with a total of 15 races.
The Super Formula season in Japan begins on 4 April.
