Toyota are set to run four drivers at the next World Rally Championship event in the Central European Rally, but there will be a notable absentee.
Kalle Rovanpera secured his fourth rally win of the season at Rally Chile as he navigated through the challenging foggy conditions to take the win from his Toyota teammate Elfyn Evans.
The Finn is the two-time defending WRC champion, having won the 2022 and 2023 titles. However, Rovanpera is competing in the 2024 campaign part-time, having only run in seven events.
Winning the rallies at Kenya, Poland, Latvia and Chile, the 24-year-old finished outside the top 30 in Sweden and Portugal and crashed out of his home event in Finland.
Rovanpera is not the only world champion to be competing part-time with Toyota, as Sebastien Ogier has also made limited appearances this year. However, after winning Rally Finland, the Frenchman announced he would be running in the final four rallies of 2024 to aid his team in their title hopes.
Jari-Matti Latvala says Kalle Rovanpera’s contract means it is ‘not possible’ for him to race in the Central European Rally
Ogier had been set to race in Poland, but he was forced to withdraw from the event and he suffered a traffic accident with a Ford Mondeo during a recce.
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Rovanpera took his place and went on to win the rally. The Finn had agreed a set amount of rallies with Toyota in his contract that he would race in, with the Central European Rally being one of them.
However, after his unplanned appearance in Poland, as Toyota team boss Jari-Matti Latvala explained to DirtFish, the team had to exchange the Central European Rally with that rally, thus making it ‘not possible’ for Rovanpera to run at the next WRC event.
“We had a contract with Kalle for a set number of rallies this season,” he said. “And, of course, he stepped in and competed in Poland for us [following Ogier’s recce accident]. The plan originally was to bring Kalle to CER, but now we had to exchange this one [for Poland] and it’s not possible.
“First of all for the drivers’ championship, we know this is starting to be very, very difficult. I think our main aim and our main target is now in the manufacturers’ championship. In Chile we were able to take [the gap] from 35 down to 17. This is giving a really good boost and motivation for everybody inside the team.
“I know that we don’t have Kalle going to CER, but we are still, let’s say, feeling good and Sébastien, we know he’s strong. Elfyn was also showing really good performance now in Chile. So I think they both are in really good form.”
Toyota have closed the gap to Hyundai with two rallies to go
Ogier and full-time driver Elfyn Evans are set to compete in the Central European Rally. The Frenchman will be looking to improve his form after two disappointing weekends in Greece and Chile, with Evans is still searching for his first win of 2024 having finished second four times.
Sami Pajari replaced Takamoto Katsuta in Chile with the Japanese driver having a torrid 2024 campaign with just one podium finish. Both drivers are expected to return to complete Toyota’s line-up for the Central European Rally.
The Japanese manufacturer have closed the gap to Hyundai to 17 points after their one-two finish in Chile. With two rallies to go, the fight is on between the two teams for the Manufacturers’ Championship.
Thierry Neuville is looking to avoid an ‘internal fight’ with Ott Tanak for the drivers’ title, as he holds a 29-point lead over his Hyundai teammate with 60 possible points up for grabs.