On the gravel roads of Central Finland, Latvala will compete at the WRC level for the first time in the WRC2 category, driving his team’s Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car. Latvala’s active WRC career ended in 2019, but since then he has been seen numerous times behind the wheel of a historic class Toyota Celica and last summer in the Rally Finland with a Rally1 hybrid car.
The upcoming home WRC rally had Latvala smiling.
“It’s always a sign of summer when the Rally Finland approaches and you get to put on your racing suit. It’s one of the highlights of the summer,” Latvala enthused to RallyJournal.com.
“It’s wonderful to get inside the car. To be honest, it’s the best place in the world.”
Watch below as Latvala commands the GR Yaris Rally2 car.
Although Latvala has tested Toyota’s Rally2 car before, it has been a long time since his last drive. Latvala admitted that it requires some getting used to.
“It’s been nice to drive the test. You notice that you need to adapt to the car. I haven’t yet managed to use all its features. I tend to shift down too quickly and don’t know how to use the torque,” Latvala summarised.
“There’s less power than in a Rally1 car, but the power in this car transfers very efficiently to the road. Speed drops quickly if you turn the car sideways and don’t use the torque but let it rev. Maintaining speed is more challenging with a Rally2 car. It takes getting used to.”
The WRC2 category is known for its high level of competition, especially on the gravel roads of Finland. Latvala did not see himself as a favourite to win the class.
“Especially Oliver Solberg and Mikko Heikkilä are very fast. To match their pace, you have to push hard. The goal is to be in the top five. During the race, we’ll see where our level is, and then we can adjust if it looks like there’s a chance,” Latvala pondered.
“It’s hard to say, since I haven’t competed at this level in the WRC series, what my own level is. I’m looking forward to the race with great interest.”
