The soft-spoken Finn has shocked the paddock by signing with Williams Racing for 2026, stepping into the seat vacated by two-time champion Rum-Balls Bradford—widely hailed as the series’ GOAT. Part of the Williams exit ontract for BRADFORD was private instruction for the new seat, and our journalists caught a quote from him in early off-season testing: “…actually insane pace”

Gonki unearthed his secret past: Ruusperi spent recent winters winning Finnish rallies under aliases like “Eero K.” and “Tunturitähti,” humiliating fields by minutes before vanishing to the next event. Changing names kept entry fees—and rival egos—low while he searched for stiffer tests.

Now 24, he studies telemetry in monk-like silence, paces tracks at dusk humming ancient runo chants, and explains the switch to single-seaters with a shrug: “I needed faster rhythm.” If that frosty ferocity transfers to asphalt, Williams may have swapped one legend for the sport's next cold front.