news-engine

The current Rally1 cars will be consigned to history, with the championship moving to cars that are much closer in concept to today’s Rally2 machinery. One of the main aims is to increase competition, reduce costs and lower the barrier to entry for new manufacturers. There are still plenty of question marks surrounding the technical regulations, while the driver line-ups for next season also remain uncertain. According to Toyota’s Juha Kankkunen, it is entirely possible that the team could compete with as many as six cars next year, rather than the current five. Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala would neither confirm nor dismiss that suggestion. His comments indicate that Toyota’s driver plans for next season are already beginning to take shape. “In a way, yes, and in a way, no,” Latvala told Rallyjournal.com. “Let’s put it this way: one very decisive factor is what [Sébastien] Ogier wants to do in the future,” Latvala revealed. Ogier, 42, has competed part-time in the World Rally Championship for several years. The nine-time world champion turns 43 in December, and it is clear that he has more years of competition behind him than ahead of him. “We’ll have a discussion with him, and that will have a big influence on how it all takes shape,” Latvala explained, referring to the number of drivers. Running several cars in the World Rally Championship has until now been an expensive undertaking, but the new technical regulations should change that equation. With cheaper cars, there could also be more seats available in the future. “If you think about the budget with the current Rally1 cars, the costs will now come down so much that you can run six cars. With that budget, you can add another car. And that’s exactly what we’ve been aiming for – bringing the cost level down,” Latvala pointed out. According to Rallyjournal.com sources, Toyota intends to announce its driver line-up for next season during Rally Paraguay on the final weekend of August. Aside from Ogier, another major point of interest will be whether Ott Tänak, the 2019 world champion, appears on the list. Tänak has carried out extensive testing of Toyota’s new-regulation car during the year. Elfyn Evans, Sami Pajari and Takamoto Katsuta are also expected to continue with Toyota next season.