Overview
- Rovanperä said he will step back from upcoming races, citing worsening health issues that make it unsafe to continue.
- Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, signing as Morizo, called the decision painful and pledged continued support for Rovanperä’s return when ready.
- KCMG confirmed Nonaka will drive in the Motegi season opener on April 4–5, with the team keeping its race program on track.
- Rovanperä’s preparation was disrupted by diagnosed benign paroxysmal positional vertigo that forced him out of December testing and by illness that ended his Oceania campaign early.
- The pause stalls Toyota’s single‑seater pathway mapped for the two‑time WRC champion toward Formula 1, with no timeline set for resuming the program.