Jari-Matti Latvala will continue as team principal but will receive valuable support from four-time World Rally Champion Kankkunen.
Next year, Latvala will compete in the FIA European Historic Rally Championship, meaning he won’t be able to attend every WRC event in person. That’s where Kankkunen steps in. The initial request for Kankkunen to take on the role came as a surprise to him.
“I was just basically shocked at first,” Kankkunen laughed.
“But on the other hand, I’ve been working as an ambassador for Toyota for two years, so I know the team. It’s the best team in the world,” he continued.
“Jari-Matti can’t hide from me anywhere – I can always find him. So there’s a great team behind this, and I’ll just continue the same good work that he has been doing,” Kankkunen added.
According to Latvala, the decision to hire a deputy team principal evolved gradually over the autumn.
“This was generally discussed. And I have to say, we had a secret meeting with Yuichiro Haruna and Akio Toyoda at the Fuji Speedway Hotel at the very beginning of September. We went through the options, and we all agreed that Mr. Kankkunen is the best choice,” Latvala revealed.
“He has the experience he can bring to the team, and he has already worked as an ambassador, so he is part of the family. He has also brought a title for Toyota in the past, so he fits the profile perfectly,” Latvala praised.
Juha Kankkunen achieved an impressive four World Rally Championship titles during his career, with his most recent championship win coming in 1993 with Toyota.
