Latvala announced well in advance that he would be competing in the historic class of the European Rally Championship this year, alongside his co-driver Janni Hussi. By committing to the ERC, Latvala is forced to miss some WRC rounds, during which four-time world champion Juha Kankkunen will step in as Toyota’s team principal.
Latvala already missed the Safari Rally in Kenya in March, and he will also be absent from the next two WRC events. He will not be present at Rally Islas Canarias at the end of this month, nor at Rally Portugal in May. Latvala will next return to Toyota’s pit area at Rally Sardinia in June.
Latvala’s co-driver will also change for the next round of the historic ERC. Janni Hussi will be unavailable, and Tuukka Shemeikka will take over the pacenote duties. The experienced Shemeikka has previously worked with drivers such as Lauri Joona and Teemu Asunmaa.
Latvala admits that watching rallies from the sidelines has not been easy, but at the same time, he is happy to be getting more driving time himself.
Latvala and Hussi claimed an impressive overall victory at the ERC season-opening Costa Brava Rally. The next challenge for Latvala will be the Czech round, which coincides with Rally Islas Canarias.
“It was great to drive, and I really enjoyed it,” Latvala told RallyJournal.com.
“In that sense, I have definitely made the right decision. Juha was in Kenya and really enjoyed the role, and everything worked well there. Meanwhile, I had a great time driving in the historic event,” Latvala continued.
Latvala openly admits that he still enjoys driving the most. His heart still strongly pulls him behind the wheel.
“That’s what I’ve done my whole life, and it’s such a familiar environment for me. It’s the best place in the world – right between the seat and the steering wheel,” Latvala said.
However, Latvala also emphasises that he appreciates his current principal role, even though he is not as present this year as he has been in the past.
“Of course, you also have to think about things from a work perspective. You have to work as well. You can’t put everything solely into driving,” Latvala reminded.
Latvala’s decision is highly unusual. It’s not every day that a team principal focuses so much on his own driving. However, according to Latvala, everything has gone extremely well so far.
“This setup we have now with Toyota suits me really well,” Latvala said.
