The battle for both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles is intense. In the manufacturers’ standings, Hyundai holds a slender one-point lead over Toyota. The new points system has ensured that large gaps are hard to come by.
Toyota, despite winning five rallies this season compared to Hyundai’s three, has found it tough to pull ahead, as Hyundai’s drivers have dominated on Super Sundays.
In response, Toyota has made strategic moves by having both Sebastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä compete in the same events, despite the initial plan for them to split the season equally.
“The fight for the manufacturers’ championship is really tight, and it’s tough to create big gaps with this new points system. Even if you win a race, you can’t make big differences like before. So, we’ve decided that we need all our top drivers participating as much as possible,” team principal Jari-Matti Latvala told RallyJournal.com.
“Now we’ve had Kalle and Sebastien competing a bit more. We have plans for the rest of the season, and discussions will continue.”
Ogier might even compete in all the remaining events, depending on his willingness. Rovanperä, on the other hand, has commitments in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux series, which might force him to skip more WRC rounds.
“With Sebastien, it’s more about how much he can drive. Kalle has those Porsche races, so he probably can’t. His contract stipulates that he drives half the season,” Latvala explains.
“With Ogier, we haven’t set anything in stone. Initially, we agreed that he would drive half the season, but this can be extended, and we’ll take it one race at a time. After Finland, we’ll see how he feels and what his plans are for the rest of the season. It’s possible that his programme will expand.”
The drivers’ championship appears to be a three-way fight. Before the Rally Finland weekend, Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville leads, with teammate Ott Tänak just eight points behind, and Toyota’s Elfyn Evans 13 points adrift. Latvala suggests that Ogier could still join the title fight if he performs well in Rally Finland.
“Sebastien is only 28 points behind. He’s not that far off. If he competes in the remaining events and does well, he could still have a chance. The championship battle is very exciting and will probably go down to the final race,” Latvala muses.
