Ocon will be following Kalle Rovanperä's career with interest.

      When Colton Herta decided to move from IndyCar, where he once finished as runner-up, to Formula 2 solely to obtain an FIA superlicense and, consequently, a chance to move to Formula 1, that could be considered an interesting piece of news.

      But when Finnish rally driver Kalle Rovanperä, who at 25 already holds two WRC titles and this season could well become world champion for a third time, announced that he also intends to continue his career in F2, that was almost a sensation. However, he plans first to gain experience in the Japanese Super Formula series.

      Of course, his decision drew considerable interest in the Formula 1 paddock, where all talented drivers are treated with due respect regardless of what category they compete in. And in Mexico it was Esteban Ocon, the Haas F1 driver who, incidentally, has some experience driving rally cars, who spoke about Kalle and his plans.

      Esteban Ocon: "That's brilliant! I'll be following how this story develops very closely, because I've been watching Kalle since he did a few races in the Belgian Porsche Cup in 2024. If I were in his shoes, and I already had two WRC titles at such a young age, I would definitely decide to try my hand somewhere else. Especially with Toyota's backing.

      "Certainly, I think it's a fantastically interesting story. We'll see how it all goes for him, but I think Kalle will face serious challenges, because he's moving into a completely different form of motorsport.

      "However, he has already moved from one championship to another, and he has substantial circuit racing experience. And now he will have to compete in one of the toughest championships, Super Formula. I'm not saying F2 is easier, but you see, he's going to debut in a series where these guys have been racing for years — they're true professionals.

      "Moreover, Kalle will have to learn Japanese tracks and try to understand a different philosophy, because I don't think all the engineers in Super Formula speak English. In short, it'll be quite interesting to follow all of this!"