This weekend’s DTM meeting at Zandvoort will mark World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanpera’s debut on the circuit as he competes in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux support series.
This year, the two-time world champion is diversifying his motorsport portfolio by embarking on a part-time World Rally Championship (WRC) stint with Toyota.
In February, Rovanpera revealed his plans to compete in four of the six Carrera Cup Benelux rounds, beginning with an event at Zandvoort, known for hosting the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.
At just 23 years old, Rovanpera will be driving a 911 GT3 Cup car prepared by Red Ant Racing, under the management of seasoned Le Mans 24 Hours racer Marc Goossens.
Rovanpera recently completed two days of testing at Zandvoort, following an earlier test at Zolder in Belgium. On social media, he shared, “Two days of testing done here at Zandvoort. It was challenging and a lot of new things to learn but that’s what I came here for. Pace was pretty good compared to guys who we will be fighting with this weekend. It’s not going to be easy but I’m looking forward for it to see how it goes.”
His foray into circuit racing comes after participating in three of the six WRC rounds this year, including a commanding win at the Safari Rally Kenya in March. The exact timing of his return to the WRC later this season remains uncertain.
Toyota has confirmed its driver lineup for the next round in Poland from June 27-30, featuring full-time drivers Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, with Sebastien Ogier, a winner in Croatia and Portugal, driving the third GR Yaris Rally1. Ogier has secured two wins and two second-place finishes from four appearances this season.
Rovanpera is expected to return to the WRC in the Latvia and Finland rounds in July and August. Meanwhile, Rally Poland will see nine Rally1 entries, with Hyundai fielding Thierry Neuville, Ott Tanak, and Andreas Mikkelsen, and M-Sport expanding to a three-car lineup with Martins Sesks joining Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster.
Source: Google
