Kalle Rovanpera, the Finnish driver pursuing a career in single-seaters, faced another hurdle after falling ill with a stomach bug, which caused him to miss the final weekend of the Oceania Formula Regional series in New Zealand. This unexpected illness prevented him from competing after Thursday’s tests, ending his hopes of returning for the remainder of the event.
Manager Confirms Withdrawal Due to Health Concerns
Rovanpera’s manager, Timo Jouhki, explained that the decision to withdraw came Saturday morning when the driver was feeling unwell and running a mild fever.
“It was decided on Saturday morning when he wasn’t feeling well and had a slight fever,”
Jouhki said.
“There was no point in going for a drive.”
Following this, Rovanpera left New Zealand quietly before the races scheduled for Sunday and returned to Europe.
Gained Valuable Experience Despite Premature Exit
Although the illness cut his Oceania campaign short, Jouhki emphasized the overall benefit of the January program for Rovanpera’s development in single-seater racing.
“The month was certainly very educational,”
Jouhki stated.
“The development was quite good, considering that we started from scratch.”
During the series, Rovanpera’s best finish was a third place in wet conditions, and his final three races produced a podium, a fifth-place, and a seventh-place result, leaving him 16th in the final standings after placing 11th before falling ill.
Challenging December and Focus on Upcoming Super Formula Events
This setback adds to difficulties faced by Rovanpera last December, when dizziness affected his first Super Formula testing sessions. His focus now shifts to further preparation, as he plans to participate in additional Super Formula runs at Suzuka Circuit later this month, ahead of the championship’s start in April.
Jouhki tempered expectations regarding immediate results in Japan, cautioning that the upcoming events will primarily be for gaining experience.
“Going to Japan is still about training and accumulating kilometers,”
he remarked.
“It’s hard to say whether results can be expected there.”
