First up is this week’s Rally Estonia, followed by Finland’s high-speed gravel classic at the beginning of August.
Toyota heads into the event in a strong position. Elfyn Evans still leads the drivers’ championship, and the Japanese team also holds a clear lead in the manufacturers’ standings.
Toyota’s winning streak came to an end at the previous WRC round in Greece, where Hyundai’s Ott Tänak claimed his first victory of the season. Tänak will undoubtedly be a strong favourite again on home soil.
Nevertheless, there’s confidence within the Toyota camp.
“After three very rough and demanding gravel rallies, our team is really looking forward to these next events on fast roads in Estonia and Finland, which tend to suit our drivers and our car well,” said Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala.
“The competition has been close recently and we know that we will need to be at our best if we want to win,” he reminded.
The WRC’s new tyre supplier Hankook became a hot topic especially in Greece, where a number of punctures occurred. While fast gravel rallies offer a different kind of challenge for teams and drivers, the same applies to the tyres.
“These will be the first fast gravel rallies driven with this year’s tyres, so there has been some important work going on in testing since Greece to optimise the whole package for these conditions,” Latvala explained.
Toyota’s line-up has also changed since the Acropolis Rally in Greece. Sébastien Ogier will not be competing this time – his seat will be taken by WRC2 standout Oliver Solberg, who has delivered strong performances this season in Toyota’s Rally2 car.
“ We are also excited to give Oliver Solberg this opportunity,” Latvala said.
“After some strong results with the GR Yaris Rally2 car so far this season. It’s a great chance for him to experience the performance of the Rally1 car, and for us to see how he adapts to the step up,” Latvala added.
