Oct.14 (GMM) Kalle Rovanpera appears to be turning back towards rallying after his attempt to pursue a path towards Formula 1 effectively collapsed.
The two-time WRC champion stepped away from rallying to focus on circuit racing, but his early results in junior categories were difficult and the program was later halted amid problems with dizziness.
Now Rovanpera has been spotted testing Toyota’s 2027 WRC development car in Spain.
Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala confirmed discussions are under way over a possible return next season.
“He has shown now interest for rallying,” Latvala told DirtFish.
“I think he understood that the racing side, going to Formula 1, is a bit too big a hill to climb.
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“Of course, there’s different series that he could do, but now he’s been interested in rallying.”
“We are having some discussions with him.”
Latvala said one of the main questions is whether Rovanpera would be willing to return for a full championship campaign.
“We have to see what the idea is,” he continued.
“Is he ready to drive the full championship and so on?”
Toyota is already well stocked with drivers, but Latvala made clear the team does not want to lose Rovanpera to a rival.
“We have a great driver lineup but we have to remember that he’s also a world champion with Toyota,” he said.
“He’s an important driver, so we wouldn’t want to lose him.”
One possibility reportedly being considered is for Toyota to run two three-car teams in 2027 if its driver roster expands further.