Nairobi — The Rovanperä family has a notable connection to the fabled Safari Rally Kenya.
Kalle Rovanperä, the Flying Finn, has achieved great success in the World Rally Championship (WRC), especially on Safari, winning the event twice.
His father, Harri Rovanperä, was also a prominent WRC driver back in the day, finishing second overall in the 2002 Safari Rally behind the late Colin McRae.
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However, Safari Rally fans may never see Kalle Rovanperä on African gravel again. After a glittering career that includes two world titles and 17 rally wins, Kalle announced that he is set to retire from the WRC at the end of the 2025 season.
Despite a challenging start to the season, Kalle remains determined to succeed and will be missed by rally crazy Safari fans.
Kalle's decision marks the end of an era, as he moves on to the Japanese Super Formula Championship in 2026, competing in one of the world's fastest single-seater racing cars.
"Kalle will be missed for sure; he was always on the limit," quipped Leonardo Varese, a 2WD Kenyan rally legend.
Jari-Matti Latvala, Team Principal of TGR-WRT, on his part, highlighted, "Kalle has had a remarkable career, and it's natural that he'd want to take on a new challenge. We'll miss him, but we're confident about our line-up for 2026 and beyond."
-The Rovanperä Legacy-
Following in the footsteps of his father, Harri, Kalle proved himself to be a worthy successor, conquering the Safari Rally's rugged terrain and unpredictable conditions with finesse.
In fact, Kalle has on sundry occasions expressed his eagerness to tackle the Safari, but his decision to pursue an exciting new challenge in motorsport has taken safari enthusiasts by surprise.
His Safari Rally success was not without drama, as he almost turned his 2023 campaign into a disaster at the very first corner of the rally, as he came close to rolling his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 onto its roof at Kasarani SSS.
Kalle lined up against Thierry Neuville on the opening two-by-two Kasarani superspecial and, as they approached the first turn after a long flat-out straight, the then points leader hooked his Toyota into a ditch on the outside of the corner.
The two-time FIA World Rally Champion will remain part of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing family as he takes on his ambitious new challenge, targeting the highest levels of circuit racing.
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In 2026, he will compete in the Japanese Super Formula Championship with the support of TGR, testing himself behind the wheel of one of the world's fastest single-seater racing cars in a transition the likes of which has never been seen before in motorsport.
While East African fans will miss Rovanperä tackling the challenging Safari Rally course in the Great Rift Valley, they also know that his retirement marks the end of an era.
With his impressive record and thrilling performances, Kalle has become a fan favorite, and his absence will undoubtedly be felt not only in Kenya but in the world rally ecosystem.
