Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera, a double world rally champion from Finland, has announced that he will take a break next season after signing a multi-year agreement with the Japanese manufacturer. At the age of 22, Rovanpera became the youngest world rally champion and won a second consecutive crown this season. In a statement on Monday, Rovanpera expressed that he feels it’s time to recharge after driving rally cars for 15 years and that the previous seasons have been mentally and physically demanding. He also mentioned that he plans to spend his break exploring other forms of motorsport, including drifting.
Sebastien Ogier, an eight-time world champion from France, will continue part-time with Toyota next year. The full-time drivers for 2024 will be Welshman Elfyn Evans and Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta. Evans has been a runner-up three times in the last four years and is determined to build on his progress and improve in the next season. This news was reported by Alan Baldwin in London and edited by Ken Ferris.