FEBRUARY 2, 2026

Illness sidelines Rovanpera again as road to F1 stalls

Kalle Rovanpera has suffered another setback on his early single-seater path, after illness forced him to miss the final weekend of the Oceania Formula Regional series.

Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reports that the 25-year-old fell ill with a stomach bug following last Thursday's tests, ruling him out of Friday running and ultimately ending hopes of a return later in the weekend.

It was decided on Saturday morning when he wasn't feeling well and had a slight fever, said manager Timo Jouhki. There was no point in going for a drive.

Rovanpera is understood to have left New Zealand quietly before Sunday's races and returned to Europe. Jouhki said the January program was still valuable preparation, despite the premature end.

The month was certainly very educational, he said. The development was quite good, considering that we started from scratch.

Rovanpera's best result in the series was a third place in wet conditions, with his final three starts yielding a podium, fifth and seventh. He finished 16th overall, having been 11th before falling ill.

The setback follows a difficult December, when Rovanpera's first Super Formula tests were disrupted by positional dizziness. His focus now shifts to further Super Formula running at Suzuka Circuit later this month, with the championship beginning in April.

Jouhki cautioned against high expectations immediately. Going to Japan is still about training and accumulating kilometres, he said. It's hard to say whether results can be expected there.

(GMM)