Exploring Rovanpera’s 'Crazy' F1 Dream Backed by Verstappen
Oct.20 - Max Verstappen says he fully supports Kalle Rovanpera's shock decision to leave rallying and pursue a path toward Formula 1 - even if it's one of the most radical career moves motorsport has seen in years.
"It's a crazy step to take, but I like it," Verstappen told Viaplay in Austin. "Of course I'd like to see him in rallying too, because I think rallying is great to watch.
"Moving to Super Formula is a big leap."
The reigning quadruple world champion said he's fascinated to see how the Finnish star adapts to single-seaters. "He has a big challenge ahead of him, but he's really skilled. I'm looking forward to seeing how this all goes," Verstappen added.
Rovanpera, 25, will race in Japan's Super Formula championship in 2026 before targeting Formula 2 in 2027 - all under Toyota's support. Toyota is in a new technical and financial alliance with the Haas team, fuelling speculation that the partnership could eventually open an F1 seat for the two-time WRC champion.
Finnish racing veteran and team boss Marko Koiranen told Iltalehti that the logic is clear. "It's easy to add one and one and get two," he said. "Toyota supports Kalle, and it collaborates with the Haas F1 team.
"If everything goes as Kalle and Toyota have planned, I have no doubt for a moment that Kalle will find a place in F1."
Rovanpera's most immediate hurdle, however, will be accumulating enough FIA super licence points to qualify for Formula 1. That's why he's reportedly considering a stint in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship early next year to kickstart his single-seater credentials.
A spokesperson for the series confirmed the interest but stopped short of revealing details. "At this point, I can only say that we would be happy to welcome him to our series and would be happy to offer him the opportunity to take his first steps in the world of formula racing," the spokesperson told Iltalehti.
"However, I cannot comment further on whether this will happen or not."
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I’m looking forward to seeing how he performs in Super Formula & pay especially close attention to him in the races I’ll be watching next year on Motorsport TV, although a succesful campaign is easier said than done for a driver without any single-seater racing experience in what’s the world’s outright second-fastest circuit series with tight competition due to being largely a spec-series.