Toyota secured the maximum 60 points and immediately gained a 24-point lead over Hyundai after the opening round. While the season is still in its early stages, this successful start provides a significant boost for the team.
According to Latvala, the key to the 1-2 finish was the tyre choice made on Sunday morning. Top drivers Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans opted for two soft tyres and four studded tyres. In contrast, Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux and Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä each took only two studded tyres.
Latvala revealed that he had shared an important memory with the team from the 2006 rally, where conditions were similarly unpredictable. Ultimately, it was defending champion Thierry Neuville’s decision that confirmed Toyota’s choice.
“When I heard in the morning that the roads would start freezing after the safety cars, I went to tell Tom Fowler (Toyota’s technical director) that back in 2006, there was a similar situation where the roads froze after the safety cars. (Sebastien) Loeb chose studded tyres for the first stage and won the entire rally because he set such a fast time,” Latvala recalled.
“I said that we should consider four studded tyres. It felt like a bold choice at the time, but when we heard that Neuville made that decision, we decided to go with the same option for Elfyn and Seb.”
With differing tyre choices among the leading drivers, the result was still wide open, and the gaps remained unusually close for Monte-Carlo. This left Latvala anxiously calculating the outcome.
“I was quite nervous. On the second stage, we lost quite a bit of time, and I started to wonder if it would be enough. I was calculating times in my head, thinking it should at least secure the win. But I was still worried about whether Adrien would overtake Elfyn.”
“I’m really happy that Elfyn fought hard on the final stage and that we secured the 1-2 finish. Additionally, Kalle climbed up to fourth place.”
While Rovanperä’s overall performance was underwhelming, his improved pace on Sunday delivered a small moral victory. Latvala, however, highlighted the reigning double world champion’s patience.
“Kalle is excellent in slippery conditions. What Kalle doesn’t like is mud on asphalt. If it’s mud on gravel, that’s fine. But mud on asphalt is one specific area where he struggles. If Kalle doesn’t trust the car, he won’t push it,” Latvala emphasised.
“In that sense, you have to respect Kalle. He never overdrives or forces the issue; he stays patient. When he knows he has 100% trust in the car, that’s when he attacks.”
