The Japanese manufacturer has wiped the floor with its arch-rival Hyundai, winning all six rounds of the championship so far. In three of those rallies, Toyota has also taken maximum points in the manufacturers’ standings.
Toyota now holds a staggering 69-point lead in the manufacturers’ championship. For Hyundai to catch up would require a total turnaround in the remaining eight events. The dominance also extends to the drivers’ standings, where Elfyn Evans, Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä currently occupy the top three spots.
The early part of the WRC season has started to resemble schoolyard sports games, where one side often complains about unfair team selections. Reigning world champion Thierry Neuville sees some truth in that analogy.
“We don’t need to forget that we are three against five. And when I was out on Friday there was only two against five,” Neuville lamented.
“So it’s very difficult, if you get a setback, you get a puncture or something and then you have immediately five other cars from another manufacturer in front of you. That makes it very challenging to to come back for the points.”
Neuville does have a point. Toyota fields more Rally1 cars at each rally, giving them greater tactical flexibility. Of course, if a driver consistently drives faster than the rest and keeps the car on the road, excuses wouldn’t be needed.
However, the Belgian star isn’t whining about the situation. He acknowledges that Hyundai could also choose to field more cars, but that doesn’t seem to be a current priority for the manufacturer.
“It’s not unfair because nobody forbid us to bring more cars, but we just don’t bring. That’s what we need to accept at the moment. It’s like this and we know that they have better cards in their hands for sure,” Neuville emphasised.
