Rovanpera to make endurance race debut at Dubai 24 Hours

Kalle Rovanpera will kick off the 2025 season by making his 24 hour endurance racing debut in the Dubai 24 Hours ahead of the World Rally Championship opener in Monte Carlo.

The two-time WRC champion will drive a Porsche 911 GT3 R for the Proton Huber Competition squad alongside fellow Finns Jukka Honkavuori and Jani Kakela, 2012 German rally champion Mark Wallenwein and Joel Monegro.

The race, held from 10-12 January, will mark Rovanpera’s first endurance event having made his circuit racing debut this year driving in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux and Italy series. The 24-year-old finished fourth in the Benelux championship after recording wins at Imola, Red Bull Ring and Zolder.

“I met my fellow countrymen Jukka Honkavuori and Jani Kakela during the last season of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux. We talked about competing in an endurance race together. Now the three of us, together with Mark Wallenwein and Joel Monegro, will compete in the Dubai 24 Hours before my WRC season begins. I am grateful to everyone involved for making this possible,” said Rovanpera.

“I am really looking forward to racing a GT3 car for the first time. Of course, there are new things to learn about a GT3 car and it is also the first time that I am sharing a car with other drivers. However, I am confident that I will find the right speed this weekend together with Proton Huber Competition, as the 24-hour race allows us a lot of driving time.”

Rovanpera will make a full-time return to the WRC next season with Toyota after undertaking a partial campaign this year which yielded four wins.

Earlier this month, Rovanpera made a return to the stages driving a 2025 specification GR Yaris Rally1 at Rallye National Hivernal du Devoluy. The Finn finished the 10-stage rally in second position behind new Hyundai signing Adrien Fourmaux.

The annual WRC curtain raiser in Monte Carlo takes place on 23-26 January.