WRC – Latvala in search of redemption

At this time last year, Jari-Matti Latvala (VW Polo R WRC) had won his first success of the season in Portugal, and allowed VW Motorsport, his employer, to achieve a resounding hat-trick, with the respective second and third places of Sébastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen, his teammates. History is repeating itself somewhat this season: after a checkered start to the championship (victory all the same in Mexico), which notably saw him go off the road during the final meeting in Argentina, the Finns will try to ward off fate. Provided that the weather is dry, he will benefit, with sixth position on the road, from a favorable starting order.

“A close battle pitted us against our teammates last year, remembers Jari-Matti, and we came out victorious, Miikka and I. We would obviously like to see this happen again. » According to him, the key to success on Lusitanian soil will lie in good management of the allocated tire quota. " This year, he continues, le rally of Portugal will again take place in the north of the country. Soft tires provide the best grip on the roads of this rally. But once the layer of sand is swept away, soft tires degrade more quickly and it is better to opt for hard compounds. In dry weather, choosing the right tires at the right time will once again be decisive. This will be particularly the case on Saturday because this day includes longer stages. » The fact remains that at this time of year, bad weather cannot be ruled out in Portugal, and could thwart the forecasts.