Hyundai opened up a 20-point lead in the manufacturers’ championship at the Finnish round after both Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanperä went off the road on the penultimate special stage. The disappointment in the Toyota camp was bitter, particularly because Rovanperä’s unfortunate incident completely turned the tide in the battle for the title.
Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala is still trying to instill confidence in his team, despite the difficult task ahead. With only four WRC rounds remaining and the new points system making it extremely hard to create gaps, a major setback for Hyundai is needed for Toyota to have any chance of clinching the championship.
“Everybody in our team is very motivated for the Acropolis Rally. The last day of Rally Finland gave us some bitter moments to swallow because of the points that were lost, even though we won the rally,” Latvala said.
“But it also showed just how rapidly things can change in this championship. Now, we just need to maintain our fighting spirit, try to continue our strong form and keep the fight going.”
Although Hyundai has often dominated rough and slow gravel rallies, Toyota has good memories from Greece last year when Rovanperä celebrated a victory and Evans followed up with a second place.
“Greece was good for us last year, when we showed a big step with the GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID on rough gravel roads. Reliability is important too for this kind of tough event and that has also been a strong point for us,” Latvala told.
“This is a rally where many things can happen and if you can stay out of trouble, you have a good opportunity for a strong result.”
The Acropolis Rally in Greece kicks off with a shakedown on Thursday morning. The main event, starting on Friday, will feature a total of 15 special stages, covering approximately 305 kilometres.
