Tommi Mäkinen highlights the progress of the Toyota Yaris

By winning last Sunday on his Rally from Finland, Esapekka Lappi joined the clan of Flying Finn winners in the World Rally Championship, first and foremost his boss Tommi Makinen.

The former four-time world champion, now at the head of the program Toyota Gazoo Racing, argues that this result highlights the progress made by his team and by the Toyota Yaris. “This kind of result will strengthen team spirit, commented the ex-Mitsubishi and Subaru driver.

In Mexico, we noticed, on rough terrain where we encountered only difficulties, that there was still a lot of work to get up to speed. We then began a development program in different sectors, moving gradually.

Progress has been made in Poland. Then, we still established several test sessions in preparation for the Rally Finland where we took a step forward. It makes us more confident. »

Find the report and analysis of the Rally Finland, produced by our special correspondent at Jyväskylä, in AUTO issue 2125hebdo, available now in digital version and on newsstands.