Juha Kankkunen and Mikko Hirvonen estimate that Latvala’s speed is not enough for the top places.
Juha Kankkunen himself drove in the Jyväskylä World Rally Championship after years of competition. PDO
Jari-Matti Latvala announced this morning that he plans to participate in the World Rally Championship in Jyväskylä at the wheel of a Toyota. Former Finnish rally stars have similar views on Latvala’s chances in the World Rally Championship.
Four-time rally world champion Juha Kankkunen is happy for Latvala. Kankkunen reminds that many other rally legends have jumped behind the wheel of a car after years of competition.
– The rest of us have run races in the same way. Marcus Grönholm has driven, I have driven. I also drove after an eight-year break and I was then over 50 years old. Jari-Matti is still a young man, says Kankkunen.
Kankkunen believes that Latvala can reach good places in the World Rally Championship. The rally legend reminds us that driving skills slowly disappear.
– If we’re being realistic, Jari-Matti doesn’t even try to be top speed, but he certainly drives hard. Latvala is definitely aiming for the top eight. Probably not enough to be in the top three, but between places 4 and 8. However, there is skill, and the Toyota is a good car.
Kankkunen himself last drove in the World Rally Championship in Jyväskylä in 2010. At that time, he got behind the wheel of a Ford Focus and finished eighth in the race. However, the 64-year-old rally legend would no longer participate in the World Cup rally.
– I can drive demonstrations and other little things, but not the World Cup rally. Yes, 64 is such an age that no way. I was 51 years old when I drove in Jyväskylä in 2010.
However, Kankkunen is satisfied that Latvala will be able to participate in the World Cup rallies.
– When there is such an opportunity so good that you get to ride domestic boys. It brings more color, after all, the commemorative race has to be run somewhere.
Nice words from a teammate
Having driven with Latvala for a long time in the World Championship Mikko Hirvonen agrees with Kankkunen. He hopes that the Toyota team manager would enjoy the ride and not think about the times of the stages.
– It is unlikely that he is supposed to score points there. The car is new and Jari-Mat himself probably doesn’t have big profit dreams. He has wished for this for a long time and spoke Akio Toyoda to drive with once again, Hirvonen states.
Hirvonen, who teaches Toyota’s young Japanese drivers how to rally, doesn’t want to step into Latvala’s shoes and jump behind the wheel of a modern number one car in a real race.
– I could try. But the grip in making notes and the self-confidence to push the last few tenths on the stages have already disappeared.
The Jyväskylä World Cup Rally will be held on the 3rd-6th. August.