According to insider sources speaking to Ilta-Sanomat, Latvala, the newly crowned European champion in the historic category, may take part in the largest rally series in the United States next year.
The main driving force behind this appears to be the motives of Latvala’s employer. Toyota wants to strengthen its brand in the US market and believes that Latvala’s participation in the country’s biggest rally series would best serve this objective.
It is also understood that Toyota wishes to familiarise itself with local rally conditions. A WRC rally was originally planned to be held in the US state of Tennessee next year, but those plans fell through. However, the World Rally Championship remains determined to break into the US market, and it is possible that a round could be held in the country as early as 2027.
Ilta-Sanomat asked Latvala directly whether the claims about his intentions were true. The rally star neither denied nor confirmed the information.
“At this stage I’m not really able to comment on this in any way,” Latvala confines himself to saying.
Latvala has already confirmed that he will compete in the European Historic Championship again next year. In addition, he intends to enter other historic-category series as well.
“I will definitely compete in the historic category next season, and in fact in two different series,” Latvala says, adding:
“Other plans may be built around this, but in any case it’s clear that I won’t be able to contest every round in any other series.”
According to IS sources, Toyota would like to take part in the American Rally Association National Rally Championship as early as next year, but no final decision has yet been made. If the plan goes ahead, Latvala would compete in the series with Toyota’s Rally2 car and take part in “several rounds”.
Latvala has served as team principal of Toyota’s WRC team since 2020. When Latvala has focused on his own driving duties, Finnish rally legend Juha Kankkunen has stepped in as team principal.
The current World Rally Championship season will culminate this coming weekend with the final round of the year in Saudi Arabia. Toyota has already secured the manufacturers’ title, and the drivers’ champion will also certainly come from the team’s ranks. The crown will go to either Elfyn Evans, Sébastien Ogier, or Kalle Rovanperä.
