Rovanperä Suspends 2026 Super Formula Plans for Health Recovery

Kalle Rovanperä, the 25-year-old Finnish two-time World Rally Championship champion, has suspended his planned participation in the 2026 Super Formula season in Japan due to worsening health issues, prioritizing recovery over racing commitments.

The announcement came in statements from Rovanperä and Toyota Gazoo Racing last weekend, confirming that medical evaluations advised against competing at this time. Rovanperä, who had been preparing for the single-seater series as a stepping stone toward Formula 1, cited episodes of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, a condition affecting balance and vision through the inner ear. The problem, which he has managed chronically for years, intensified recently, forcing him to miss key preparation sessions. In December, he withdrew from a post-season Super Formula test, and earlier this year, illness sidelined him for the final round of the Formula Regional Oceania Trophy in New Zealand.

Rovanperä's move to circuit racing marked a significant shift after a decorated rally career with Toyota, where he secured 18 wins and back-to-back WRC titles before finishing third in 2025. He planned to end his full-time rallying at the close of that...