In the season opener, Toyota is fielding five Rally1 cars, including their regular drivers and Sebastien Ogier, who naturally competes in his home rally. Alongside Ogier, Elfyn Evans, Kalle Rovanperä, Takamoto Katsuta, and Sami Pajari will tackle the Alpine stages in the GR Yaris Rally1.
“With our strengthened line-up this year we are confident that our drivers can be fighting for the top places on this event and for the championship titles.” says Latvala.
“For his first full year in Rally1, we have entered Sami under a second team like we did previously with Takamoto, which can also bring an extra dimension to the manufacturers’ championship. While the main target for him on this event is to reach the finish and gain the experience, we hope to see him grow and develop during the year.”
WRC teams only wrapped up the 2024 season a little over a month ago at the Monza circuit, so the new season is coming quickly. Following the lighthearted competition at Monza, teams headed to Finland for winter tests before taking a few weeks’ break.
“It feels like the 2024 season has only just finished and now we are preparing for a new one to start with many new aspects. With the removal of the hybrid unit and the reduced weight, we’ve been working hard to optimise the car and find the right balance with the setup,” Latvala explains.
“I’ ve had the chance to drive this new package myself and, even with less power, the performance is close to before and the car feels even more agile.”
The Rally1 cars have evolved, but an even bigger factor is the new tyre supplier, Hankook. Teams had limited testing time with the new tyres, so surprises could arise in a rally like Monte Carlo, where conditions change frequently.
“We can expect to see drivers who adapt to this change faster and are able to push the limits sooner.”
“Rallye Monte-Carlo is the most challenging event in terms of tyre strategy given the changeable conditions. We experienced a mix of weather in testing including some snow, but the rally can always bring surprises.”