Toyota in search of a double in Sardinia

Nothing seems to stop Toyota cette saison. Victorieuse sur les trois derniers rallyes avec trois succès de Kalle Rovanperä, sur trois surfaces différentes (neige en Suède, asphalte en Croatie, terre au Portugal), la Yaris Rally1 est compétitive dans toutes les conditions. L’épreuve portugaise a été un véritable test réussi pour la voiture japonaise, avec un doublé Rovanperä – Evans au classement. En Sardaigne, Toyota est en quête d’une confirmation, pour le deuxième rally on earth in a row.

Jari-Matti Latvala, the team principal, begins this weekend with confidence but also with caution. “Portugal was a fantastic first gravel test for the Yaris. The team can go to Italy knowing they have built a fast and reliable car. » The ex-rally driver also admits his fears about road conditions and strong heat forecast on the Italian island. “We know it will not be easy to achieve a similar result. In Sardinia we can expect higher temperatures. The road surface is harder, with lots of rocks. The road sweeping effect is generally more significant and will probably penalize us more than in Portugal. »

Objective for Rovanperä: “do our best”

Almost surprise winner in Portugal, Kalle Rovanperä never ceases to amaze. Largely leading the championship with 46 points ahead of Neuville, the Finn remains on three consecutive victories. For this second gravel rally, Rovanperä once again takes on the sweeper's hat. A role that was successful for him in Portugal, but the young Toyota driver does not expect the same fate in Sardinia.

“It will be another difficult rally. (…) If the conditions are hot and dry as usual, I think it might be more difficult for us to fight for victory compared to Portugal, but the objective will be the same: to do our best. We go there knowing that we have a good base with the car on gravel and we had to concentrate on improving it further, we are already in a good place. »

Toyota will once again bring 4 cars to Sardinia, with the return of Esapekka Lappi and Takamoto Katsuta. After her first podium of the year, Elfyn Evans definitely hopes to launch her season and confirm her return to form. “It was good to get a good result in Portugal, although I wasn't completely satisfied with the weekend. This gives us something to build on in Sardinia. As a team we showed we have a great car on dirt. »

The Welshman expects a difficult weekend despite the Toyota's good performance. “ It's good to have two successive rallies that are relatively similar, although the roads in Sardinia tend to have a harder base than in Portugal. The weather will likely be even hotter, so it will be a tough weekend for the cars and drivers. » Evans will start 5th during the first stages of Friday. A favorable position to seek a good result at the end of the rally. 

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