Feb.27 (GMM) Kalle Rovanpera’s switch from rallying to circuit racing has begun with a reality check, after another difficult outing – this time at the Super Formula test at Suzuka.
The two-time world rally champion, now embarking on a full-time single-seater program backed by Toyota, finished at the rear of the timesheets in both wet and dry sessions in Japan.
“It’s damn hard,” admitted his long-time manager Timo Jouhki. “The starting point is difficult when you start learning at this level with a completely new and such a powerful car.
“And at the start of the tests it rained right away. Of course you got experience in wet weather, but it was difficult to begin with,” he told Ilta Sanomat.
Rovanpera completed 81 laps across the Suzuka sessions but ended the final run more than two seconds off the pace. Jouhki conceded expectations must remain realistic.
“If he were in the top five toward the end of the season, that could be one goal,” he said.
The Finn has previously targeted a move to Formula 2 in 2027, but Jouhki hinted patience may not be unlimited.
“If results don’t start coming – not necessarily this year, but next year – then we have to think about what to do.”
Former Formula 1 driver Mika Salo stressed the scale of the leap from Formula Regional machinery to Super Formula.
“Super Formula is so much faster, it’s very different to drive,” Salo said. “Suzuka is one of the most difficult tracks in the world. If you lose rhythm there, the next four or five corners can also go wrong.”
Still, Salo believes the 25-year-old is progressing.
“Kalle is improving all the time, and that’s how it should be. He started from scratch, while the others have been doing track racing since they were children.”
Former rally co-driver Jonne Halttunen urged perspective.
“This is like turning a good runner into a good skier,” Halttunen said. “I wouldn’t be terribly critical of Kalle’s results this year. The most important thing is that we see progress from race to race.”
The Super Formula season begins at Motegi in April.
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