Toyota have won nine World Rally Championship events this season, while arch-rivals Hyundai have managed just one. Ott Tänak broke Toyota’s streak in June at the Acropolis Rally Greece, but since then the Japanese manufacturer have once again taken three consecutive victories.
Under the leadership of Juha Kankkunen, Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier conquered the Rally Paraguay a little over a week ago – an event making its debut on the WRC stage. This week, the World Rally Championship’s South American tour continues in Chile, which is a far more familiar rally for the drivers.
Chile first hosted a WRC round in 2019, when Tänak celebrated victory. The Estonian also triumphed there in 2023, when the event returned to the calendar after a break of several years. Last year, however, Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä claimed the top spot.
“The rally in Paraguay was not straightforward but the result at the end was really good for our team. To be leading the manufacturers’ championship by 100 points is very nice, but this is rallying and there are still four events to go, so nothing is won yet,” Kankkunen says.
“The drivers’ championship is also incredibly close and we want to give all three of our contenders the best chances to win.”
If Paraguay was largely uncharted territory for the entire WRC field, Chile promises something much more familiar. The route is exactly the same as last season.
“Rally Chile is much more familiar for everybody, with the route being exactly the same as last year, so we know what we can expect. The drivers enjoy the roads there and it was a good rally for us last year, so hopefully we can repeat that this time,” Kankkunen sums up.
As usual, the base for Rally Chile will be in the city of Concepción, located around 500 kilometres south of the capital, Santiago. The rally begins with a shakedown stage on Thursday.
The actual competition will feature a total of 16 special stages, covering around 307 kilometres.
