formulate|Kalle Rovanperä was ordered to rest due to dizziness.
Kalle Rovanperä will not be able to continue the Japanese Super Formula series tests at Suzuka.
Rovanperä says on social media that the doctor has banned him from driving for the rest of the week. The reason is the vertigo symptoms that started on Wednesday afternoon Japan time.
“I’m really disappointed that we didn’t get to drive properly. I was only able to do aerodynamic testing this morning,” Rovanperä wrote.
“We had bad luck on our first drive. Now it’s time to get better. I can’t wait for the next time.”
The two-time rally world champion Rovanperä said that he suffers from benign postural dizziness, which affects balance and vision.
Duodecim Health Library according to benign positional vertigo refers to vertigo of cochlear origin, which is caused by a dysfunction in the arch passages of the cochlea. The sediment that accumulates in the fluid-filled arch passages that sense the body’s position and balance causes a false sensation.
The trouble lasts for several weeks, on average 10 weeks, but it can last much longer. The trouble can also be renewed.
Rovanperä managed to drive 32 laps in Suzuka. He was the slowest rider in the morning’s test session and lost a good seven seconds to the fastest time of the tests Igor Omura Fragalle.
Rovanperä was scheduled to test the KCMG team’s car also on Wednesday afternoon and on Thursday and Friday. Now the testing was interrupted due to a health problem.
KCMG team manager Ryuji Doi told Motorsport- and Autosport- website that Rovanperä did not drive at full speed in the morning tests at any point due to the aerodynamics tests. At one point, the straight-line speed of the car was limited to 200 kilometers per hour.
Doi said Rovanperä’s professional attitude impressed him. However, according to him, the Finnish star seemed tired.
“He came to Japan only after the final race of the World Rally Championship in Saudi Arabia. He was really busy and this was only the third time he has driven a formula car in his life. I think he was a bit exhausted,” Doi stated.
Doi gave his comments before finding out that Rovanperä had to miss the test week.
Stable boss also revealed that in the morning tests, the seat of Rovanperä’s car was too low and the driver could not see properly out of the cab. Doi thought that Rovanperä’s symptoms and the wrong type of seat had nothing to do with each other.
Aiming for Formula success, Rovanperä is supposed to compete in the Japanese Super Formula series in 2026. After that, the Finn is scheduled to head to the F2 series.
Before the start of the Japanese Super Formula series, Rovanperä will compete in the Oceania Formula Regional series in New Zealand in January.
Story updated at 1:56 p.m.: Updated throughout with comments from Rovanperä’s team manager.