In a move that has electrified the motorsport community, double World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä has announced his departure from rallying at just 25 years old to chase a dream few have dared: a switch to single-seater circuit racing, with an eye on the ultimate prize—Formula 1. The Finnish sensation, long hailed as rallying’s answer to Max Verstappen, is set to begin his circuit journey in the fiercely competitive Japanese Super Formula with Toyota for the 2026 season. From there, he plans to climb the ladder to Formula 2, and, if all goes to plan, break into Formula 1.
Rovanperä’s decision comes at a pivotal moment, not just for his career but for rallying itself. With the sport’s waning relevance and attendance compared to its 1990s heyday, the young Finn’s move is both a bold personal challenge and a reflection of shifting tides in motorsport. As Jack Benyon observed, “There’s less for Rovanperä to stay around for. I grew up watching and loving rallying, but there’s no escaping it’s at a fraction of its 1990s heyday when it comes to attendance, and more importantly, relevance.”
For Rovanperä, the journey ahead is as daunting as it is thrilling. He’s no stranger to breaking records—he’s the WRC’s youngest ever podium finisher, rally winner, and world champion—but the world of single-seaters presents a whole new set of challenges. In an interview with DirtFish, he laid out his plan: “Well, obviously at this point, I just know my next few years’ plans. I know we will go Super Formula, and after this, we will work towards the next category step, which would be Formula 2, and we will see how everything goes. I cannot tell you now which will be my ultimate goal. I have told you it’s the highest level. Formula 1 is the highest level, but obviously there are so many cool series and events in circuit racing.”
The motorsport world is abuzz with speculation and analysis. Is Rovanperä’s switch a brilliant long shot, or an impossible dream? Scott Mitchell-Malm described the move as “an absurd, brilliant code switch that’s even better than Colton Herta’s IndyCar-to-F2 move. If F1 is really the goal, then Rovanperä is even less likely to succeed than Herta. He has a longer path and more to prove. Super Formula is immensely difficult then F2 will be another challenge entirely.” Yet, Mitchell-Malm also noted that Rovanperä’s ties to Toyota and Red Bull could open unique doors if he proves himself on track: “Red Bull’s F1 teams and its talent programme are an obvious fit, and what a story it would be for the brand. No doubt Helmut Marko would love the idea.”
The path from rallying to F1 is notoriously steep. Sebastien Loeb, another WRC legend, once flirted with the idea but never made the leap. Glenn Freeman praised Rovanperä’s measured approach: “For Rovanperä and Toyota to have mapped out the plan that they’ve put in place shows they know this won’t be easy. I also wonder if we are entering a new era of drivers showing their versatility more often.”
But the transition isn’t just about raw talent. As Jon Noble explained, “While Rovanperä may feel that, at 25, time is still on his side to make it into F1, the difficulty he faces is that he is already years behind hundreds of other talented youngsters who have lived and breathed karting and single-seater racing every day since they were out of nappies.” The mental shift from rallying’s adaptability to the relentless, 100% commitment required in circuit racing is immense. FIA single-seater commission president Emanuele Pirro commented, “More and more this mindset [of pushing 100% all the time] is developing, and more and more it is difficult to pace yourself… Going the other way will require Rovanperä to switch mindsets and attack in a way that would never work in the WRC – and it is a transition that may take a while to get on top of.”
Despite the skepticism, there’s no denying the buzz surrounding Rovanperä’s raw ability. Josh Suttill emphasized, “Don’t underestimate the insane amount of natural talent Rovanperä has. The comparisons to Max Verstappen really are warranted. Just like Verstappen, as soon as teenager Rovanperä rocked up in the premier class, you knew a world championship was a case of if not when.” Suttill added that because Rovanperä hasn’t followed the traditional single-seater ladder, “we don’t know his ceiling yet. He’s not someone – like Herta or Josef Newgarden or Alex Palou – who has climbed the F1 ladder with reasonable but not world-beating success. I’m not suggesting Rovanperä will come in and suddenly be the next Verstappen. But at the moment we don’t have a ceiling on his potential – and that’s really exciting.”
Rovanperä’s move is also being watched closely by the F1 paddock, where other dramatic stories are unfolding. Oscar Piastri currently leads the drivers’ standings with a 22-point edge over Lando Norris, with rumors swirling about a potential switch to Ferrari. Meanwhile, Liam Lawson has openly compared himself to Max Verstappen, saying, “I’ve only raced in two races as his teammate, but even just seeing him from afar tells you a lot. All the teams share data that others can see. Basic information, GPS. I’ve been comparing myself to Max for a few years now, and it’s impressive to see what he does. He’s simply very fast, very consistent, very comfortable with the car.”
Elsewhere, Williams team principal James Vowles is still riding high after Carlos Sainz’s maiden podium for the team in Baku, calling it “a boost that drives a team really far forward. It’s belief, it’s not my words anymore that are required. They can see it, breathe it, live it at the same time.”
As the motorsport landscape continues to shift, Rovanperä’s bold leap is a testament to the spirit of competition and the allure of new challenges. Will he defy the odds and become the first rally star to conquer F1’s summit? The journey begins in Japan, and fans everywhere will be watching every twist and turn. One thing’s certain: Rovanperä’s next chapter promises to be anything but dull.
