Can Rovanperä win a third WRC title before heading to NZ?

Are we likely to see a triple-World Rally Champion (WRC) this summer competing in the 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy series? Over the weekend two-times World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä won the Central European Rally on Sunday after assuming control on Saturday when team-mate Sébastien Ogier crashed out in treacherous conditions. From there, he managed the gap with trademark composure to take victory by 43.7sec.

The win puts the Finn second equal with Ogier in the WRC driver’s championship just 13-points behind their Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) teammate Elfyn Evans. With two WRC rounds remaining, Rally Japan (6-9 November) and Rally Saudi Arabia (26-29 November), we now have one of the closest drivers’ title battles in modern WRC history.

Rovanperä recently confirmed that he will move away from the WRC category and focus on single seater racing. With the support of TGR, the 25-year-old will compete in the 2026 Japanese Super Formula Championship, one of the fastest single seater categories outside of Formula One.

Kalle Rovanperä (FIN) Jonne Halttunen (FIN) Of Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt celebrate on the podium in first place after winning the World Rally Championship in Passau – photo Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Media

Official confirmation is expected shortly that he will come to New Zealand to compete in the 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy with Hitech as a warmup to competing in Japan.

The series will begin over the weekend of January 9-11 at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park and a week later heads further south for Round 2 at the Taupo International Motorsport Park January 16-18, both rounds in the North Island.

These will then be followed by two rounds in the South Island with Round 3 at Teretonga Raceway just outside of Invercargill January 23-25 and the final weekend the 70th New Zealand Grand Prix meeting to be held at the Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell over the weekend of January 30-February 1st, 2026.

Winning the Central European Rally marked Rovanperä’s third win of the year following triumphs in the Canary Islands and Finland, and marks Toyota’s fifth consecutive FIA World Rally Championship manufacturers’ crown and ninth manufacturers’ title – surpassing Citroën’s tally of eight and leaving the Japanese marque just one behind record-holder Lancia.