Kalle Rovanperä is fine again.
Kalle Rovanperä tests Red Bull’s F1 car in 2024. Red Bull Content Pool
Left the rally Kalle Rovanperä is already feeling better after last week’s health problems, says his manager Timo Jouhki.
The Finn was supposed to take part in three test days with his Super Formula car in Japan last week, but the doctor ordered him to stop driving right after the morning session due to the symptoms of positional vertigo.
He was the first to tell about Rovanperä’s health Ilta-Sanomat.
Jouhki says that he was in contact with Rovanperä after the tests were interrupted.
– As far as I understand, Kalle’s health is good now, and there should be no more symptoms. Such situations usually don’t last long, says Jouhki.
The Finn has visited a doctor with Jouhki both in Japan and later in Finland. Rovanperä spends Christmas in his homeland.
During the test day, Rovanperä managed to drive only 32 laps on the Suzuka track in the morning session. The afternoon runs were missed, and the test did not have time to accumulate significant results.
– In practice, the drives were just aerodynamic testing and adjusting the car. He never set any times or anything like that. There is nothing to report about that test, you could say, Jouhki says.
Rally manager Timo Jouhki pictured at the Finnish World Rally Championship 2023. Juuso Taipale
The manager admits that he was worried last week when he heard about Rovanperä’s symptoms.
– I wasn’t there myself and I was only relying on phone calls and messages, but of course, when visual disturbances occur, it’s always alarming, no matter what the cause. The sense of sight and balance are the most critical in car racing, says Jouhki.
Rovanperä himself was disappointed by the interrupted tests, as the first drives would have been a significant exercise in getting used to the steering wheel of the new car.
However, there is hope for the future: According to Jouhki, Rovanperä will be able to get a feel for his Super Formula car even before the start of the season in the tests organized in March. The opening of the season will be held in Motegi on the 3rd–5th. April.
Formula Regional series
Before the start of the Super Formula season, Rovanperä is also supposed to compete in the Oceania Formula Regional series in New Zealand in January.
The series includes four races and starts on January 9. Jouhki does not doubt that Rovanperä is ready for the series.
– It certainly should be [kunnossa]. According to experts, there shouldn’t be any problem, but you can never know 100%, says Jouhki.
Although the series results are not Rovanperä’s main goal, the test experience is valuable:
– The Formula Regional car is different from F2 or F3 cars, but it gives valuable experience of driving ground effect cars. The series itself is just about gaining experience, so in that sense you can’t say that you are really excited to go there specifically to compete. Jouhki sums up that it is mainly important for training.