January 3rd 2024.
Kalle Rovanpera is a name that's becoming increasingly well-known in the world of motorsports. At just 23 years old, he's made history by becoming the sixth rally driver to secure back-to-back World Rally Championship (WRC) titles. His success has now made him an EA Sports Ambassador, joining a prestigious list of sportspeople that includes Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Erling Haaland, and David Beckham.
We had the pleasure of talking to Kalle recently over Zoom, and he was certainly feeling triumphant about his success. But, like many Finnish drivers, he was also humble and modest. He credited his two WRC wins to a consistent approach and being careful not to get over-confident.
Kalle also revealed that he's a gamer, and that becoming an ambassador for EA Sports was the perfect opportunity for him. He's played their WRC games since he was a kid, and he was thrilled to be a part of their new WRC game for 2023. He praised the realism of the game, and how it only took him a few minutes of playing to get up to speed with his driving skills.
Kalle's father Harri is a former WRC driver, and Kalle himself had been driving rally cars since he was six or seven years old. However, there has been a rise in esports stars transitioning to real-life motorsports, and Kalle believes that could also happen in rallying. He believes that simulator games can help aspiring drivers to learn the basics before they get behind the wheel of a real car.
Kalle Rovanpera is a name that is quickly becoming recognized around the world. At the tender age of 23, he has become an icon in the world of motorsports, having just secured his second WRC title in a row, making him the sixth rally driver in history to take back-to-back world crowns.
On top of his impressive motorsports career, Kalle has recently become an EA Sports Ambassador, joining an illustrious set of sportspeople that includes some of the biggest names in the industry. When we talked to him about this role, Kalle was surprisingly humble, although he was obviously pleased with his accomplishments.
"Two times in a row means in a way quite a lot. It’s not so often that you can get the second one right after the first one. And when you do it two times, at least you prove to everybody that you were capable of doing it. So yeah, I’m definitely really happy," he said.
Being an EA Sports Ambassador was a great reward for Kalle's success, and it also gave us a chance to ask him if he was a gamer. To our surprise, he said yes!
"Yes, I am actually, and I’m glad to be an ambassador for EA Sports. When I was a kid, I played a lot of the WRC games and driving games overall. So, yeah, to be an ambassador for a company like EA Sports is really cool. It’s a cool brand and all young people like me know them. So for me, of course, it’s personally really cool and now that they are working with the new WRC game, it was a perfect moment for me."
Kalle is well aware of Codemasters’ rally game prowess, and he is impressed with the realism of WRC 23. He believes that it offers a great training ground for drivers who want to transition from gaming to real-life competition.
"Yeah, for sure, I have been driving in their old games, like DiRT Rally. And definitely when I heard that Codemasters are now working with this new WRC game I was excited – they have made some good progress in all the rally games they have made in the past years. I would say apart from really actually moving and having the G-forces and stuff, it’s quite nice and realistic."
It's likely that one of Kalle's tasks as an EA Sports Ambassador will be to take on gamers in WRC 23, which he is looking forward to.
"That would be a good idea; I’m sure we are meaning to do something like this. There are already some people who are so good in the game that I really need to put some time in before that, so I can try to stay up to their pace; they are quite fast from what I’ve seen. Many of my friends also are really fast now already in the game."
Rallying is a famously tough sport in which to gain an initial entry, but Kalle was lucky enough to have a father who was a well-known rally driver. Kalle started driving a rally car when he was just six or seven years old, and he also did some karting.
"For me, it was of course when I was really young. I played some games, maybe, with the PlayStation but nothing with, let’s say simulators or anything like that. Then when I was six, seven years old, I started with the normal car and then the rally car. I did some karting too, but only for a few years," he said.
Motorsports is one of the few areas of the sporting world in which esports provide a possible path from playing games to real-life competition. Kalle believes that this could also happen in rallying, as the simulators are getting better and more realistic all the time.
"Yeah, we have seen this happening in circuit racing a lot. I think in rallying, the simulators are getting better and more realistic all the time, and I’m sure that it’s the same case – that you can learn all the basics, at least, in the games, and then if you get the chance to drive a real car, for sure you’ll be much quicker getting up to speed and up to the real feeling."
Kalle Rovanpera's success in the world of motorsports has been impressive and inspiring. He is a great ambassador for EA Sports, and he is looking forward to taking on gamers in the new WRC game. His career is a great example of the possibilities available to those who work hard and stay motivated.
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