Two-time World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä will return to the WRC with GAZOO Racing TOYOTA in 2027 after health problems derailed his ambition of reaching Formula 1 through single-seater racing.
The 26-year-old left rallying at the end of 2025 to pursue a career in circuit racing, with plans to contest Japan's Super Formula championship in 2026 before progressing to Formula 2 in 2027.
However, the Finn's preparations were disrupted by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), an inner-ear condition causing dizziness and affecting balance and vision.
The condition forced him to abandon a Super Formula test at Suzuka in December 2025, before further illness interrupted his Formula Regional Oceania Trophy campaign.
Despite returning to Super Formula testing, Rovanperä withdrew from the championship in March following medical evaluations, having struggled with the physical demands of single-seater machinery.
He subsequently focused on his recovery before being cleared to resume driving, with Toyota offering him the opportunity to test its new-generation WRC car.
"I'm really happy to have the opportunity to compete in rallies with GAZOO Racing TOYOTA again next year. This team has always felt like family to me, and in a way I never really felt that I had left.
I'm enjoying having the chance to do some different things, but rallying has been a huge part of my life, and I naturally started to miss the driving after a while," said Rovanperä.
Rovanperä will reunite with co-driver Jonne Halttunen at GAZOO Racing TOYOTA, alongside returning 2019 champion Ott Tänak and Takamoto Katsuta.
Toyota will field two equal, competing teams under the new WRC regulations, with reigning champion Elfyn Evans joining Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari at TOYOTA RACING.
The manufacturer enters 2027 following six consecutive manufacturers' titles, while Rovanperä returns seeking further success after winning the drivers' championships in 2022 and 2023.
"The main priority this year became my health once I was fit to drive again, the team offered me the opportunity to test the development car, and from there we started making plans for next season," Rovanperä added.
"It's an interesting time to come back, and while the new cars will be very different from what we had before, that makes it an exciting new challenge for me.
"The main thing will be to enjoy the driving and the competition, learn about the car, and see what we can do together."
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