Toyota is ready to attack. In a 2024 season in which it finds itself without both of its full-time spearheads – namely Kalle Rovanpera and Sébastien Ogier – the team led by Jari-Matti Latvala has decided to show up at Rally Finland at the top of its game.
In the ninth of 13 events scheduled for this season, the last of the fast dirt calendar, the Japanese team will field no less than five GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrids with the specific aim of chasing the top of the World Constructors’ and Drivers’ rankings.
In addition to regulars Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, there will be room for both the reigning double world champion Kalle Rovanpera (third driver tasked with bringing home points for the Manufacturers) and the eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier. The fifth GR Yaris Rally1 will instead be entrusted to rookie Sami Pajari.
Ogier will return to racing after the accident he had during reconnaissance of the Rally Poland, which forced him to miss the event and give up his place to Rovanpera, who went on to win the rally.
Sami Pajari, Enni Malkonen, Printsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images
Sami Pajari, on the other hand, should have made his debut earlier, but the team decided to give the young Finn the opportunity to express himself on home soil, the one he knows best, to gain more confidence in his first race at the wheel of a hybrid Rally1. So far Pajari has won 3 rallies this year, the last 2 consecutively having triumphed both at the Rally Italia Sardegna and at the Rally Poland in WRC2. A nice calling card.
Toyota will try to place as many cars as possible between Elfyn Evans – the driver tasked with chasing the title – and the leader of the championship Thierry Neuville. This could allow the Welshman to recover important points on his rival and be ready to overtake already that weekend.
But that’s not all, because Toyota will give all fans another great opportunity: that of bringing Jari-Matti Latvala back to the race. The current team principal of the team based in Finland will return to racing at Rally Finland, driving a GR Yaris Rally2, navigated by former teammate Juho Hanninen.
Latvala decided to take part in the ninth round of the 2024 WRC for pleasure, because he still loves driving, but also to gain more information on the new Yaris Rally2 to give to Toyota customers who have chosen or want to try racing with the new Yaris Rally2. In short, combining business with pleasure.
Jari-Matti Latvala, Team Principal Toyota Gazoo Racing
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
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