Toyota, the spirit of revenge in Ypres after the failure at home

The result of Rally de Finlande a laissé un goût amer chez Toyota. Battue sur ses terres pour la première fois depuis 2017, l’écurie basée à Jyväskylä a échoué face à Hyundai. Malgré un bon résultat d’ensemble (2e – 3e – 4e), la défaite face au concurrent coréen a piqué au vif l’équipe japonaise. Au Rallye d’Ypres, Toyota veut ni plus ni moins que la victoire pour se rattraper du coup manqué de la Finlande.

For Jari-Matti Latvala, the director of the Toyota team, his drivers have the weapons to seek this victory on the roads of the flat country. “Ypres is a fast and difficult asphalt rally, with lots of hard braking, lots of cuts and lots of dirt on the road. We are much better prepared this year thanks to the experience gained last year. We understand the nature of the rally and we have tested on more suitable roads. So I think we will be more competitive and we will be able to fight for victory. »

If Toyota is confident heading into the Ypres Rally, it could face a surprise guest: the weather. “If it rains, the road can be very slippery, and drivers must be able to read the road constantly to judge how grip is changing” explains Latvala. Showers are expected in Flanders, particularly on Friday afternoon, which could redistribute the cards. Rain is what Kalle Rovanperä is waiting for in any case. The championship leader hopes the weather can give him an advantage despite his sweeper position. “If the weather is dry, we saw last year that it can be a bit dusty for the first few cars. On the other hand, if the weather is wet, it should be perfect for us to be the first on the road. »

Victory… and a title for Toyota?

The young 21-year-old pilot could even already be titled on the Flemish rally, an event that he particularly appreciates. “I feel good about going to Belgium. Last year we had a good rally there, I liked the challenge of a new event and I hope we can get a good result again this time. The road style is tricky, with very big cuts and lots of mud and gravel on the road”, confided the Toyota driver.

Facing the Finn, we will find Elfyn Evans, still looking for his first victory this season. The Welshman, who still has a tiny chance of playing in the championship, expects a rally to be more difficult than it seems. “Ypres is a unique event, and completely different from our recent rallies. Even compared to the last round on asphalt in Croatia, the requirements are very different. There are lots of long straights and junctions, which sounds simple on paper but in reality is far from the case. There are a lot of surface changes, the roads are often very narrow and bumpy in places, and braking at very high speeds at junctions is critical” insisted the British pilot.

Toyota n’aura pas partie facile en Belgique, face à des Hyundai revenues dans le match et à des M-Sport performantes sur asphalte. Une sixième victoire cette saison serait donc synonyme de confirmation, mais aussi de revanche.

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