Toyota has as many as four full-season drivers this year. Elfyn Evans, Kalle Rovanperä, and Takamoto Katsuta are competing in all WRC rounds as part of the factory team, while Sami Pajari is driving in a secondary team with a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1.
Additionally, Sebastien Ogier is part of Toyota’s lineup and will compete in selected events this season. He took part in the season-opening Rally Monte Carlo, where Toyota fielded five Rally1 cars.
Toyota’s biggest rival, Hyundai, meanwhile, has only three full-season drivers. Unlike in previous years, Hyundai currently does not have any part-time drivers.
This means Toyota has more test days available throughout the year. A crucial factor is that the secondary team running Pajari does not take away test days from the main factory team, which is important since teams have very limited testing opportunities outside their designated test areas.
This season also introduced a new official tyre supplier, Hankook, and drivers had to adapt to the new tyres in Monte Carlo and Sweden.
The next round takes place on gravel at the Safari Rally Kenya, where Hankook’s gravel tyres will be put to the test for the first time. Neuville believes Toyota’s extra testing mileage on Hankook tyres has given them a notable advantage.
“We don’t need to forget that Toyota has, first of all, four up to five cars. So they have much more test days. In Monte Carlo it was a massive added value they had by with testing in different conditions, different tyre combinations – which obviously we couldn’t with only three days of testing,” Neuville pointed out.
“And in Sweden the same again. So honestly, I think it’s also one of the reasons why we are struggling sometimes and maybe in the beginning of the rally a bit more than them,” Neuville assessed.
According to Neuville, Toyota has likely gained a deeper understanding of Hankook’s tyres.
“They got more experience basically. It’s something which is reasonable advantage for them. Definitely.”
Toyota has secured maximum points in the first two WRC rounds of the season. Hyundai is already 48 points behind Toyota in the manufacturers’ championship.
