Toyota completely failed in Acropolis Rally, and team principal Jari-Matti Latvala seemed to throw in the towel, stating bluntly that it was no longer possible for Toyota to surpass Hyundai in the championship battle.
Sebastien Ogier had earlier expressed surprise at Latvala’s remarks in an interview with AutoHebdo, saying that he wasn’t “as negative as Jari-Matti.” Now, Latvala has also walked back his statement a little.
“I was devastated after what we experienced on Sunday at Acropolis,” Latvala said on Thursday, ahead of Rally Chile.
“The situation is not as bad as what I said back then, but for sure, we shouldn’t focus too much on the points. We just need to focus now on making sure everybody gives their best performance,” Latvala summarised.
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Toyota has struggled lately. Both Rally Finland and Acropolis Rally ended on a sour note for the Japanese manufacturer.
“We’ve had two difficult rallies, so coming here, we just need to focus and put all our energy into achieving the best possible performance. If we can win, the good points will follow,” Latvala reasoned.
Last year, Toyota secured the manufacturers’ championship in Chile, but the rally otherwise went poorly for the team.
“We made a mistake with the tyre choices, and we basically lost the rally on Saturday, but eventually, we secured the championship. We’re going to be more careful now with the tyre choices,” Latvala previewed.
Sami Pajari is driving his second event of the season in Toyota’s Rally1 car in Chile. Latvala’s expectations for Pajari are clear.
“For me, it’s important that he has an event where he can gain more experience driving on gravel with the car. We haven’t set any big targets,” Latvala revealed.
