Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera, who has won two world rally championship titles, is taking a break from full-time competition next season. Rovanpera, a 23-year-old Finnish driver, signed a multi-year agreement with the Japanese manufacturer and will only compete in some events during the upcoming season. The primary reason behind his decision to take a break is that he has been competing in rally cars for 15 years and feels it is necessary to recharge before returning to fight for the championship once again.

Rovanpera expressed his excitement about exploring other forms of motorsport during his break, including drifting. He stated that he is looking forward to trying out different things and expanding his skill set. Meanwhile, Sebastien Ogier, an eight-time world champion from France, will continue to drive part-time with Toyota.

In addition to Ogier and Rovanpera, Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta have been named as the full-time drivers for Toyota in 2024. Evans, a Welshman who finished as a runner-up three times in the past four seasons, expressed his determination to improve on his performance and become even better in the future. This news was reported by Alan Baldwin in London and edited by Ken Ferris.