The president of Toyota still believes in Kalle Rovanperä.
Last year, Kalle Rovanperä, the two-time WRC champion, decided to transition from rallying to circuit racing and planned to compete in the Japanese Super Formula series in 2026. It was announced yesterday that he had to abandon these plans due to health issues.
This was also commented on separately by Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation:
"Kalle Rovanperä will have to withdraw from upcoming races, and this is bad news. He poured his heart into the challenging task of adapting to single-seater cars, and he had a passionate desire to make progress.
Every time he went out on the track during private tests, it was clear that his speed was increasing. I saw him attacking more aggressively, and his lap times were gradually improving. However, despite all his passion and signs of progress, his body struggled to adapt. After another medical examination, we came to the painful decision that participating in competitions would be the wrong choice for him.
I take responsibility for this decision. Ultimately, I had to postpone his participation in the upcoming Super Formula season. I sincerely apologize to all the fans, to everyone who supported Kalle, for not being able to meet your expectations. But believe me, he is ready to take on this challenge and come to circuit racing, so this story is far from over. I will continue to support him because I believe in him..."
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The president of Toyota still believes in Kalle Rovanperä.
Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation, commented on the news that Kalle Rovanperä had to withdraw from competing in Super Formula in 2026...