Who is Kalle Rovanpera? All about the "Max Verstappen of WRC" kicking off a campaign on the road to F1

Kalle Rovanpera, often regarded as the "Max Verstappen of WRC," announced his decision to retire from rallying and move on to single-seater open-wheel racing. He is set to join the Super Formula, attempting to move to Formula 2 in the future and ultimately, the pinnacle of motorsports, F1.

Rovanpera is a generational talent. Son of former rally driver Harri Rovanpera, Kalle had a clear vision for his career, starting with racing at an early age. His excellence in the junior series earned him a seat in the World Rally Championship in 2020 with Toyota Gazoo Racing. He was only 19 at the time.

He managed to score a podium that year itself, becoming the youngest podium sitter of the series, and competed at the sport's top level. His first championship victory came in the 2022 season with TGR, with six total wins in the season. His second consecutive championship win followed this in 2023.

He is still an extremely competitive driver in the series. Although he only ran the 2024 season partially, he is currently in third place in the championship this season, with two wins under his belt. However, his decision to move to single-seater racing was rather unprecedented.

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Why did Kalle Rovanpera decide to move to single-seater racing?

Kalle Rovanpera in Chile, 2024 (Getty Images)

As mentioned, Kalle Rovanpera is often regarded as the "Max Verstappen of WRC," owing to his early success in the sport. While most drivers wait years to gain experience and then step into the dangerous territory of rallying, Rovanpera managed to showcase his talent at a very young age.

Now that he has claimed two WRC titles, he feels that it was about time to move on and look into a different motorsport.

"This decision has not been an easy one, but itʼs one that I have been thinking about for a while," Rovanpera said. "Having already achieved so much in rallying at this age, I started to think about what other possibilities I might have and what other challenges I would like to take on. It has been a tough decision, but it feels like the right one to pursue my next dreams and challenges."

While this would be an interesting challenge for Kalle Rovanpera, switching from rallying to track racing could be a demanding task. However, he has a bit of experience under his belt. As mentioned, he only partly competed in WRC's 2024 season, and on the other hand, he was racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, where he won three races.