Rovanperä refreshed and ready to return to full-time WRC

Almost a year after surprising many people by choosing a partial WRC campaign, having just won his first two world titles, Kalle Rovanperä is ready to become a full-time rally driver again.

The Finn still won four events out of the seven in which he took part with Toyota in 2024, but he wanted to take a saving break by not being under the pressure of the fight for the title. At the same time, he made his debut on the circuit, notably racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux.

If, immediately, Toyota has not yet formalized the composition of its crews for next season, there is no doubt that Kalle Rovanperä will regain his status as spearhead of the brand. Having just celebrated his 24th birthday, he feels able to take on the challenge of a calendar which will include no less than 14 meetings.

“Yes, I think I have recharged the batteries”he confirms in an interview with Motorsport.com. “I’m ready to come back and race a full season, even if it will be even longer and harder.”

“As for the plans for 2025, it is certain that I will do the whole season with Toyota in the WRC. I will come back to do the whole season. Afterwards, I do not yet know anything about a possible circuit program. I would obviously like to continue racing on the circuit. We are working on it to try to determine what the best schedule is.

The Rally1 category of the WRC will once again pit the three manufacturers already entered today against each other but could nevertheless constitute Hyundai’s last official campaign in the discipline. A hypothesis which “is definitely not a good thing” in the eyes of Kalle Rovanperä. “I don’t know anything about the future of Hyundai”he adds, “but certainly everyone hopes that they will stay and that other manufacturers may be able to come.”

Fifth in the 2024 championship despite its partial program, it won this year at the Safari Rally then in Poland, Latvia and most recently in Chile, thereby putting Toyota back in the race for the manufacturers’ title. For the next round in Central Europe, the Japanese brand will count on the reinforcement of Sébastien Ogier alongside Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari.

Interviews by Gianluca Marchese and Giacomo Rauli