Toyota’s team manager made some telling comments about his drivers for next season.
Jari-Matti Latvala spoke interestingly during the World Rally Championship in Japan. Toyota Gazoo Racing
The last round of the World Rally Championship season will be held in Japan from Thursday.
Jari-Matti Latvala The Toyota rally team led by
Shared driving responsibility in the Toyota tricar this year Esapekka Lappi is going to the Hyundai camp at the end of the season. Neither team has confirmed the matter, but the transfer of the Pieksämäki player is practically a sure thing.
– I said in Spain why should we change drivers when we have won all the titles. But since then there have been rumors about Esapeka and his departure. Now I think that changes are possible, team manager Latvala said on the eve of the World Rally Championship in Japan.
– Now let’s see what happens here. You will receive answers during this month, promised the man from Tuuri.
Time after Lapland
The driver market of the World Rally Championship got a shake-up when Ott Tänak announced after the Catalunya World Rally Championship in October that he was leaving the Hyundai team.
– If Ott hadn’t left, everything would probably have stayed the same. Otti’s departure opened the doors, Latvala summed up.
Even today’s decision sealed the fact that Lappi Loikka will join another team.
– We can offer Esapeka half a season. With Hyundai, he can get a full season. If the goal is to be world champion one day, of course you have to take advantage of that opportunity. This is how I see the situation, Latvala said.
– So if he leaves, he followed.
When Lappi changes the scenery, Toyota opens up one place in the team’s three-car lineup Sebastien Ogier’s from the chest. It is also possible that a driver outside the factory team Takamoto Katsuta let’s be promoted to the number one spot to share a car with the French champion.
According to Latvala, Pesti in the championship team has attracted interest.
– Let’s say that several drivers have been in contact with us, Latvala revealed.
– If we think hypothetically, a driver who has been in a Rally1 car is wanted for the Rally1 car. So we are not looking at other options.
Tänak won’t light up
Where will Ott Tänak drive next season? Vesa Pöppönen / AOP
In the wildest rumors, Tänak, who left the team after his championship season in 2019, has been fitted to Toyota’s driving overalls.
Tänak has been associated with M-Sport Ford even longer, which does not have the same financial resources as the thoroughbred factory teams of Toyota and Hyundai.
Latvala made it clear that the Estonian is not returning to the team.
– If we took Otti, we would destroy this sport in a certain way, because there would be three world champions in the same team (Kalle Rovanperä, Ogier, Tänak). He is needed more at M-Sport Ford. In terms of the World Series, it would be the best solution, Latvala emphasized.
The World Rally Championship in Japan starts with a short public special stage on Thursday morning Finnish time.