Toyota has assembled a strong driver line-up for next year, with four full-season drivers: Kalle Rovanperä, Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, and Sami Pajari. Additionally, Sebastien Ogier will pilot a fifth Toyota Rally1 car in selected events.
This year, Toyota narrowly beat Hyundai in the manufacturers’ championship. However, the drivers’ title went to Hyundai for the first time, with Thierry Neuville claiming the crown.
Latvala has plans for Toyota to reclaim both championships next year. In doing so, he has also disclosed a detail about Ogier’s contract.
“Now we know we have a good and strong driver line-up: Kalle, Elfyn, ‘Taka,’ and Sami. On top of that, Ogier will drive a half-season,” Latvala told RallyJournal.com.
So, will Ogier compete in about half of the season?
“Approximately half. The exact number hasn’t been decided yet, but it will be fewer events than this year,” Latvala said, referring to the fact that Ogier took part in 10 WRC events during the 2024 season.
“This year was a special situation because we needed to ask him to compete in more rallies. That decision was made because we wanted to fight for the drivers’ championship as well,” Latvala explained.
Next season, Ogier will no longer be required to defend Toyota’s colours in the drivers’ championship battle. That responsibility will rest primarily on Kalle Rovanperä, who returns as a full-time driver, and Elfyn Evans.
“We’ll have five cars in some rallies, so we’re coming with a strong team. The goal is to be able to fight again for both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships,” Latvala concluded.
