As reported earlier on Monday, Latvala’s company JML-WRT Oy has purchased the entire share capital of Printsport Oy from Eero Räikkönen. Based in Lievestuore, Printsport rents and services rally cars.
Read more: Jari-Matti Latvala completes multi-million deal – buys a successful rally team
Latvala has spent recent years as the team principal of Toyota’s World Rally Championship squad. From now on, he is also a team owner.
“It’s quite something how things have changed since I ended my career as a professional driver – so much has happened in these five years,” Latvala told RallyJournal.com.
“In a way, it’s great. There have been certain difficulties in life, and of course there have been tax matters in the background too. But then something positive like this comes along, and that gives you new, good energy when there have been challenges.”
Latvala founded JML-WRT Oy early this year and competed under the company’s name in Rally Finland last summer. He also runs JML-Sports Oy, with which he contests historic rallies and builds historic rally cars.
“JML-WRT focuses on competition activities. I decided to make this separation when the opportunity arose to buy Printsport’s shares. JML-WRT will concentrate on modern competition cars, while JML-Sports focuses on historic cars,” Latvala explained.
Printsport founder Räikkönen will remain as the team’s CEO and continue running day-to-day operations. The acquisition will not bring changes to the team’s staff.
A chance to enter a WRC round with his own team?
Next year, Printsport will once again field a driver in the WRC2 category with a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. In recent seasons, Sami Pajari and Oliver Solberg both won the WRC2 title in Printsport machinery and now compete for Toyota’s WRC team. Next year, Japanese driver Yuki Yamamoto – part of Toyota’s challenge programme – will be given his opportunity.
Latvala has other ideas for the team as well.
“Operations will continue, and of course there’s the possibility that I could drive in Jyväskylä again,” Latvala laughed, referring to his home WRC round.
“Of course, the idea is that Eero continues to run the team and takes care of the customer base. The plan is also that cars will be rented out if other customers want to join,” he added.
Latvala is the sole owner of JML-WRT, but Toyota WRC team CEO Yuichiro Haruna and technical director Tom Fowler serve as deputy board members. According to Latvala, Toyota is not significantly involved in the company, even if key members of the team’s management have joined the project.
“Let’s put it this way: I wouldn’t have been able to do this alone, and I needed some help. Haruna understands the business side, and that’s why I need him. Fowler has the technical side covered, and that’s why I brought him in. That way, we’re in this together, because I wouldn’t have been able to manage this on my own,” Latvala admitted.
“The best operator in Finland”
Printsport will continue its close cooperation with Toyota’s WRC team, especially regarding the Rally2 car and the WRC2 programme. Latvala had previously considered acquiring a Rally2 car of his own but ended up buying the entire team instead.
For Latvala, the acquisition ultimately made perfect sense.
“I considered getting a Rally2 car, but realised it wouldn’t make sense for us to do it alone. When you take into account all the spare parts and everything else, running a rental operation would be difficult. Printsport is a strong operator and has an excellent, well-functioning system with which they’ve achieved great results,” Latvala praised.
“When you think that they’ve won the WRC2 title twice in a row, it’s a fully professional team. That was certainly one decisive factor – Printsport is the best operator in Finland. It’s worth investing in them to take care of the operation.”
