Toyota’s driver patterns for next season will be revealed in the near future. In the big picture, everything is clear, but there are still a few things to clarify on the driver’s side.
Jari-Matti Latvala Inka Soveri
Team manager of the Toyota rally team Jari-Matti Latvala promises that the Japanese brand will inform about its next season’s drivers in the near future.
– After the rally in Japan, we plan to talk about next year’s issues as usual.
The World Rally Championship in Japan will be held from the 6th to the 9th. November. After that, there is still the season-ending World Rally in Saudi Arabia.
Based on Latvala’s comments, there won’t be any big surprises.
– Let’s just say that, looking at the results, I don’t feel that Toyota needs big changes.
Toyota has already secured its fourth consecutive manufacturers’ world championship. On the drivers’ side, the World Championship title will be decided by the drivers of the team Elfyn Evans, Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä.
The championship will determine Ogier’s program
Sébastien Ogier has already won eight rally world championships in his career. Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT
Evans will continue in the team, while Rovanperä will retire. So the interest is focused on Ogier.
The Frenchman, who is hunting for his ninth world championship, has been driving optional World Cup rallies for years. This year, the plan was renewed in the middle of the season, when Ogier realized that he was seriously fighting for the world championship.
Latvala believes that the final result of Ogier’s World Cup battle this season will determine Ogier’s driving program for next season.
The championship this year would mean a wider driving program for the 2026 season.
– If Seb wins the championship, then the key question is whether he wants to win the historic tenth World Championship title next year. If he doesn’t win the championship this year, I don’t think he will have such a hard time driving all the rallies next year, Latvala believes.
At the head of Toyota’s rally team, we are continuing in the familiar Finnish command.
– Juha Kankkunen has expressed his desire to continue in the position of team manager. I intend to drive the Historic EC series next year as well. We are continuing with the familiar pattern, says Latvala.
The situation in Pajar
Sami Pajari drives his first full year with Rally1 equipment. Vesa Pöppönen / AOP
Evans, Ogier and Takamoto Katsuta alongside Toyota’s factory team, we will be invited Oliver Solberg. The second-generation rally star, who sensationally won the Estonian World Rally Championship in July, would therefore take Rovanperä’s place in the team.
Driving the fifth Toyota Yar this season Sami Pajarin Latvala commented cautiously on the situation.
– Sami has gained experience this year. But maybe a little…I expected him to get a podium finish this season. Of course, he still has two more rallies, Latvala says.
Latvala does not comment on Pajar’s contract situation for next season, but he talks about Toyota’s world of thought on a general level.
– We have not usually wanted to do things hastily. We want to give time and space to develop, Latvala spins.
Solberg’s victory in his first Rally1 race with Toyota looked bad for Pajar, who has driven without TOP3 places this season. However, Latvala also sees another side to the matter.
– Sami and Oliver are in a different situation. However, Oliver had experience with WRC rally cars before. So the experience base is completely different. Oliver has also matured a lot as a driver recently, Latvala reminds.