Rovanpera to begin 2024 WRC season in Sweden

Rally Sweden has released a 56-car entry list for the WRC’s only snow round of the championship that marks the second round of the season (15-18 February).

Rovanpera has opted to scale back his WRC commitments this year to “recharge his batteries” ahead of a full-time return with Toyota in 2025.

The 23-year-old was tipped to start his half-season in Sweden having been absent from the entry list for next week’s season opener in Monte Carlo, where Toyota will field GR Yaris entries for full-timers Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, with part-time driver Sebastien Ogier piloting the third car.

Rovanpera has previously won Rally Sweden, taking victory in 2022 on his way to a maiden world crown.

Toyota is yet to finalise schedules for its part-time drivers Rovanpera and eight-time world champion Ogier. However, Toyota WRC team principal Jari-Matti Latvala has hinted that the WRC’s first-ever visit to Latvia in July is likely to be part of Rovanpera’s programme.

“We are still a bit open [with the schedules for Kalle and Seb],” Latvala told Motorsport.com.

“I think what is quite clear is that Latvia is a rally [Kalle might like to do]. In Latvia he has done a lot of rallies when he was young, so this is quite clear that Kalle likes to do that event. It is still possible that both [Seb and Kalle] will be at the some of the events at the same time.”

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

His inclusion on the Rally Sweden entry list will mean four Toyota GR Yaris Rally1s will feature in the rally, including those of Evans and Katsuta.

Privateer Lorenzo Bertelli is on the entry list, mirroring his WRC appearance at the event last year where he also piloted a GR Yaris. The Italian’s entry boosts the Rally1 numbers to nine cars.

The rally will also mark Esapekka Lappi’s first event of the 2024 season as the Finn takes over the third Hyundai entry that will be driven by new signing Andreas Mikkelsen in Monte Carlo. Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak will drive the full-time entries.

The Rally1 field is completed by M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster.

Hyundai development driver Emil Lindholm is also on the entry list, piloting a Rally2 version of the i20 N for the first time in 2024.

Sweden will also kick off the new Junior WRC season, which this year has attracted a record 19 entries.   

This week Rovanpera has been linked to a potential endurance racing outing at the Fuji 24 Hours race in May.