Mäkinen: “Latvala puts a lot of pressure on herself”

Jari-Matti Latvala traverse une saison bien difficile avec Toyota. Alors que ses coéquipiers Ott Tänak and Esapekka Lappi perform convincingly, as evidenced by their 3rd and 4th places in the Championship, the former vice-world champion only scored one podium during the Rally Monte-Carlo and missed the top 10 three times between the Tour de Corse and the Rally of Portugal.

While he only occupies ninth place in the Drivers' standings, his boss Tommi Mäkinen spoke to AUTOhebdo compared to the situation of his compatriot.

“Ott’s performance and the way he adapted to the Yaris put Jari-Matti under pressure. To respond, he attacked hard, again and again, and made mistakes. I know it’s a difficult situation…, explained the four-time world champion. I tried several things, but suddenly he puts a lot of pressure on himself. It’s a bit complicated, but we’re trying to put him in the best conditions so that he obtains results that allow him to regain confidence…”

“Of course there is disappointment. Jari-Matti is a better driver than he has shown us this year. He knows how to go fast, but the positions signed this season are far from his level…”, he admitted.

Discover the full interview with Tommi Mäkinen in issue 2174 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version on all platforms and on kiosks.