Rovanperä interested in GT3 campaign on the Nürburgring Nordschleife

At the end of last season, the 25-year-old Finn had unexpectedly withdrawn from the World Rally Championship to pursue his new dream in circuit racing. With Toyota’s support, Rovanperä had planned to compete in the Japanese Super Formula series this year. However, health problems forced him to pull out of the entire season even before the first race.

After several months’ break, Rovanperä is keen to get back into the thick of things. “At the moment, everything is still up in the air. Next, I’ll be speaking to Toyota to find out what the team management want, and to see if that aligns with my own plans.” According to Rovanperä, racing in single-seaters remains his top priority. “I don’t like giving up. So, naturally, single-seater racing is still right at the top of my list. In the lower categories, such as Formula 4 in New Zealand, things went pretty well quite quickly. And it’s also clear that I’m not getting any younger,” Rovanperä told the trade magazine “Motorsport aktuell”.

“The question now is whether Toyota wants us to give it another go together and challenge for the top.”

Rovanperä kann sich Start beim 24-Stunden-Rennen-Nürburgring vorstellen

Foto: Red Bull

The 2022 and 2023 champion does not see a return to the World Rally Championship as his preferred option. As much as he still loves rallying, the numerous events, combined with the tight schedules and the intensive preparations and testing, are “no longer his thing”. On top of that, he doesn’t see the appeal of the upcoming new generation of cars.

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Apart from formula racing, the sports car scene would certainly be an option. In 2024, Rovanperä enjoyed some success in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux driving a Porsche 911 GT3.

A particular highlight of any sports car venture would be competing in the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. “That would be right up my street,” says Rovanperä. The 25-year-old blond-haired driver explained that GT4 cars are intended more for up-and-coming drivers and that he prefers a GT3 programme. “The GT3 and the Nordschleife – that would be something really special.” Rovanperä has already completed a few laps on the Eifel rollercoaster during public open-track sessions.

Kalle Rovanperä und Sebastien Ogier: Womöglich gleiche Zielsetzungen

Foto: Red Bull

At this year’s International ADAC 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen took part at the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. Rovanperä’s former Toyota team-mate Sébastien Ogier watched the race in person as a spectator. Just like Rovanperä, record world champion Ogier also seems to be thoroughly keen on taking part in the traditional race.

“The 24 Hours on the Nordschleife in a Toyota GT3 would be a brilliant idea. But it’s not up to me to decide. A GT3 car is probably the closest thing to a Rally1 car on tarmac. I’d be up for it, and I reckon Seb (Ogier) would be too,” Rovanperä is convinced.