Servus Kalle!

At the end of the 2025 season, two-time world champion Kalle Rovanperä plans to retire from the FIA World Rally Championship to switch to formula racing. The news, which was made public a week before the Central European Rally, attracted a lot of attention and means that the World Championship round in Germany, Austria and Czechia will take on special significance for the second time in the Finn's career. It was here that Rovanperä secured his second world championship title in 2023, and it is here that his farewell tour begins two years later, as the rallying world bids farewell to the successful and popular Toyota driver – or, as they say in Lower Bavaria: ‘Servus!’

Shortly before the start of the Central European Rally, double world champion Kalle Rovanperä spoke about his plans for the future.

In 2023, Kalle Rovanperä secured his second World Championship title at the Central European Rally.

After Kalle Rovanperä became the youngest World Rally Champion of all time in 2022, he immediately scored his next coup: he secured the title early at the 2023 Central European Rally and climbed onto the podium in Passau as the youngest double world champion in WRC history. Second place in the CER behind Hyundai ace Thierry Neuville, who achieved the feat a year later, was enough for him. The way to Rovanperä's CER triumph was finally clear in 2023 when title contender Elfyn Evans ended his race in a woodshed. This year's Central European Rally is, in a sense, a continuation of this story, as the current World Championship runner-up Evans (222 points) is 19 points ahead of Rovanperä ahead of the World Championship round; at the same time, Evans is putting pressure on World Championship leader Ogier, who is only two points ahead of him.

Future plans in formula racing

At just 25 years of age, Rovanperä is of course far too young to end his driving career. At a press conference ahead of the start of the Central European Rally, the Finn outlined some of the background and prospects for his career plans from 2026 onwards. It is already clear that he will be switching to circuit racing. "This decision was not an easy one for me, but I have been thinking about it for some time," he said before the CER, adding in Passau: "It will be a big step, a huge change." So it's just the right thing for an ambitious motorsport athlete, who is promising fireworks for the rest of the rally season: "These will be my last three rallies with Jonne Halttunen in the co-driver's seat. And of course we want to give it our all to celebrate another joint success."

Unfamiliar territory

You really can't accuse him of leaving unprepared. Rovanperä already tried out unfamiliar territory last year, making his circuit racing debut in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux. The fact that he promptly clinched three victories there may have contributed to his confidence in now entering the powerful Japanese Super Formula. He describes the move as "jumping in at the deep end", but he is assured of strong support. He will also be working with Toyota Gazoo in formula racing. "We chose Super Formula because the performance of the cars is greater than in most other formula series," says Rovanperä.

He sees the coming season as a first step: "First of all, I want to get used to the physical forces and speeds," he explains. At the moment, the programme in the Japanese formula series is fixed. And what comes after that – who knows. "There are so many options," grins the Finn, listing a few: "Grand Prix, Le Mans, Hypercars." And the 24 Hours of Nürburgring is also an idea. "Maybe there will be an opportunity for that one day." And – of course: "I'm sure I'll be back in a rally car at some point."

Not the first rally champion to take the plunge

Rovanperä is not the first world champion to take on new challenges on the circuit after his rally career. For many motorsport fans in Germany, Walter Röhrl immediately springs to mind, who also enjoyed success on the circuit after his time in the World Championship. After a glittering rallying career, he also ventured into a new discipline. In the USA, he competed in the Trans-Am series and the IMSA GTO series, where he achieved victories and demonstrated that his talents were not limited to special stages. He also competed sporadically in the DTM (one race win) and took part in the legendary Pikes Peak hill climb. "Der Lange" (‘The Tall One’), as his fans call him, won there in 1987 and also smashed the track record.

But one difference must be noted: when double world champion Röhrl signed the Audi contract that led him into circuit racing in 1984, he was 37 years old. Rovanperä is making his move earlier and, at 25, is likely to be at the peak of his performance in many important racing skills.