With the help of Ogier, Toyota wants to return to victory in New Zealand

Mettre fin à la série de défaites : tel sera le mantra de Toyota en Nouvelle-Zélande. Pour le retour du rally on the Pacific Islands ten years after the last edition, the Japanese team arrives with the ambition of breaking the bad spiral which has lasted since the Rally of Finland.

Beaten by Hyundai sur les trois dernières épreuves, l’équipe de Jari-Matti Latvala espère retrouver la plus haute marche du podium à Auckland. “It’s a rally that our team is looking forward to, declared the Finnish director. The Acropolis was of course disappointing for us and we can learn from it to be stronger in the future. But Rally New Zealand is a very different gravel rally. The surface is smoother, the roads are fast and smooth, and the camber feels like you're dancing with the car. The roads are incredible and you can't find them anywhere else in WRC »

A highly anticipated return for the former WRC driver, who won the event in 2010 in an intense battle with Sébastien Ogier. Today, it is as director that Latvala arrives in Auckland, also finding the French pilot in the Japanese team. The only driver in the 2022 field to have experienced Rally New Zealand, the eight-time world champion will be Toyota's natural leader. “For the rest of our drivers it will be a new challenge, but I think they will all enjoy these roads and I am sure we can fight for victory once again”, added the Finn.

Toyota will rely on Ogier's experience

Sébastien Ogier will return to the Yaris Rally1, having not taken the wheel in the WRC since the Safari Rally last June. The Frenchman already had experience of the New Zealand Rally, in 2010. At the time, the Gapençais failed to win his first WRC rally by less than 3 seconds. In 2022, the Toyota driver will have the opportunity to take his revenge. “Rally New Zealand is one of the rallies I really wanted to do this year. I had already been there once in 2010 and I have good memories of it., remembers Sébastien Ogier. The fight was very close until the last turns where a spin gave victory to Jari-Matti. The rally itself is magnificent, with some of the best roads in the world. »

After three months of break from rallying, Ogier will play the role of model teammate but is not stopping himself from aiming for victory in Auckland. “It won't be easy to get back into rhythm straight away, but as always I will try to fight for victory and help the team achieve the best possible result. » Alongside him, Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanperä will discover the roads of New Zealand for the first time.

Match point for Rovanperä

The championship leader, who has a new match point to win the title, explained his method to prepare for the challenge that awaits him. “I have only heard good things about the country, about the rally and about the quality of the roads. We watched every video possible to get an overview of the steps and to understand what we will need from the car before we get there. » First again on the track on Friday to open the road, Rovanperä could benefit from capricious weather to stay in contact. A victory would allow him to reach his first crown, after having wasted his first two chances in Ypres and Greece.

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