This year, Toyota essentially has only one driver, Elfyn Evans, who is in contention for the drivers’ world championship. After two rounds, Evans is in second place, just three points behind Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville.
Check out the full standings of the World Rally Championship here.
Toyota stars Kalle Rovanperä and Sebastien Ogier are only participating in select events, while Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta is not yet in the championship fight.
Toyota’s rival, Hyundai, has shown in recent years that it is willing to play with team orders to maximize points for its lead driver. Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul has indicated that at some point this year, the team will need to decide whether Neuville or Ott Tänak will be their “number one” driver.
Latvala stated before the season that the team would not resort to team orders to benefit Evans. Toyota desires that victories and championships be determined through racing.
Not everyone agrees with Latvala’s view. For example, George Donaldson, who formerly worked as a boss for Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Subaru, described Latvala’s approach as naive in an article published by DirtFish.
Latvala has read the article himself.
“This might seem naive. But we believe that fair competition also develops and motivates drivers,” Latvala responds to the criticism via RallyJournal.com.
“There’s a risk it affects a driver’s morale if they have to slow down. It starts to erode when they have to give up positions. It’s never enjoyable for any competitor.”
Latvala points out that team orders do not have as significant an impact as they used to when teams engaged in more aggressive tactical maneuvers.
“In the past, drivers might have more events with technical issues. They needed more points because there were more bad rounds. Nowadays, the series is so tight that you can’t afford as many poor results.”
“I don’t think swapping positions plays as big a role today as it used to. The most important thing is maintaining the drivers’ motivation,” Latvala emphasizes.
Hyundai is prepared for tactical play if there’s an opportunity. Even Esapekka Lappi, competing in Hyundai’s third car, has acknowledged his role: if Neuville or Tänak needs a boost in the standings, he’s ready to give up his position.
Latvala understands the rationale behind Hyundai’s decision but still questions it.
“Some drivers can do it, but it’s not easy for them either. If you consider the bigger picture, what’s a driver’s motivation to achieve results if they constantly have to give them away?”
