The situation is anything but certain, as there are still nearly 70 special stage kilometres to be driven on Sunday, and Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville is right on the heels of Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta.
Evans leads the rally with a three-second advantage over Katsuta, while Neuville trails Evans by just 6.3 seconds.
“A good day overall. It’s a bit frustrating that Elfyn spun on the last stage, which makes the starting position for Sunday a bit tighter. Of course, it’s good that we are still holding a one-two lead. Thierry will surely push hard tomorrow to catch up with our boys,” said Latvala.
“Thierry wasn’t particularly fast at the start of the rally. He has quietly made his way into contention and increased his performance. Now he’s right in the fight. We know that when Neuville gets into his rhythm, he is one of the best Sunday drivers. You have to be prepared for that.”
Katsuta is chasing his first-ever WRC victory, but Latvala intends to have a word with his Japanese protégé.
“The victory will come when everything falls into place. I don’t think that an all-out attack tomorrow will bring the best result in this case. Taka just needs to continue driving as he has and perhaps wait for others to make mistakes. That is certainly a better strategy than going all-in tomorrow,” Latvala considered.
“I will have a discussion with him in the morning and see what he thinks. Then we will reassess.”
Kalle Rovanperä is running in fifth place, with Hyundai’s Ott Tänak ahead of him by 10.1 seconds. The gap to Neuville is 16.6 seconds. Rovanperä has undeniably had a tough time, even though his pace improved on Saturday.
“Kalle has had some difficulties with the tyres. He hasn’t been able to get the car to turn. The tyre doesn’t suit his driving style. We had a discussion in the morning, and I suggested that maybe he should try to adjust his driving style a bit,” Latvala summarised.
“He should brake in a straight line, then turn the car, and only after that get back on the throttle. It seems like Kalle has been driving better today. Of course, some changes have been made to the car, but he has also adapted his driving to suit the tyres better.”
Latvala has full confidence that Rovanperä knows how to manage the situation. The championship is long, and retirements must be avoided.
“Kalle is the type of driver who, if he doesn’t feel completely comfortable with the car, understands that points are crucial for the championship. If it doesn’t feel 100 per cent right, he knows how to think about the bigger picture.”
