This is how Jari-Matti Latvala commented on the upheaval of the rally – One thing bothers me: “It doesn’t belong in the sport”

After the meeting held on Wednesday, the World Motorsport Council of the International Motor Sports Federation (FIA) published its development plan for the World Rally Championship.

The created frameworks are not yet ready for change, but based on them, work towards reforms can begin.

What is clear is that the hybrids used in Rally1 cars will remain in history from next season.

Toyota team manager Jari-Matti Latvala received the news with mixed feelings.

– The logistical costs alone are high because of those electric units, so in that sense I see it as a good solution to remove them. But then, to compensate for less aerodynamics and a smaller engine air choke at the same time, I didn’t really understand that, Latvala states.

Latvala reminds that the removal of hybrids reduces the car’s power. The compensatory measures are significant to such an extent that the stables are facing major development work.

– I would have done it so that the hybrids are gone and a little extra weight in the car. It would have been quite a small change, he says of his counter-proposal.

– Now if the aerodynamics are reduced, the car will be more detached. For the driver, it takes time to get used to and learn the car. But when the air choke is reduced at the same time, it means that the engine power will still drop. When the gas equivalent of the car is different, the car is not as efficient.

You may be able to tell the change even from the home stand.

– It can mean that the car will already slow down quite a lot in a kilometer. Even the viewer can see that, Latvala points out.

The “compulsion to sell” is irritating

With the 400,000 euro spending ceiling, cars will be significantly cheaper than before, but Latvala is not pleased with the sales obligation in the Motor Council’s proposal. Manufacturers must prepare to give up their cars immediately after the race at Parc fermé.

– I don’t understand that, and in my opinion it doesn’t belong in this sport, Latvala shakes.

According to Latvala, with the current model, three drivers have ten cars in circulation. In the future, the number could increase significantly if the reform comes into force as it is. Racers that require a two-month manufacturing time should be manufactured faster and generally more of them should be available.

Of course, the equation cannot be achieved without a larger number of personnel, which would require considerable investments from the manufacturers.

– This really needs to be discussed with Fia quite carefully, Latvala insists.

– How can that price level be kept reasonable. Do you always have to take a loss on sales? That should also be taken into account.

To the negotiation table

Latvala still sees a lot of working elements in the change plan – especially on the sports side. The organizers are working on more choice in the routes and they want sprints and endurance events in the race calendar. The man from Toyota also likes the fact that the maintenance of the race events themselves is made more flexible. Smaller service stations are operated with a smaller team, and the transfer kilometers are reduced.

In Latvala’s opinion, however, the whole requires filing together with large stables.

– There are good things here, but then there are things that still need to be discussed. Hopefully we can still make them more reasonable in certain areas, because I’m pretty sure the car manufacturers are not completely happy.