When Toyota’s team manager Jari-Matti Latvala realizes his dream in the Jyväskylä World Rally Championship, the rest of the team’s management takes over his duties.
– Hopefully the experience in Jyväskylä makes up for the lack of experience with the car.
This is what Toyota’s 38-year-old team manager says Jari-Matti Latvalawho is the first factory team boss to be seen behind the wheel of a World Championship rally car.
The experienced Finn has 209 competition starts under his belt from 2002–2020. In the last season in the Swedish World Championship, technical problems watered Latvala’s last race, where he was able to drive only one special test.
The dream of driving in the World Rally Championship once more remained smoldering.
– I wanted to get it to 210 full. Of course I also want to enjoy the atmosphere of the world’s best World Rally Championship and the encouragement of the Finnish rally people once more, Latvala tells Urheilu.
Read more: Jari-Matti Latvala drives in the Jyväskylä World Rally Championship!
Latvala’s decision has attracted criticism
The Finnish World Rally Championship, which will be held in Jyväskylä in less than a month, is one of the most important competitions for Toyota. The question arises, how can a team manager in a leading position jump into the wheel himself in such a situation?
– At Toyota, we have a four-person management team that makes decisions democratically. I was also out of one race last year, when others were unlucky. It is possible to miss one rally in a season, it shouldn’t be a problem, Latvala says.
In addition to Latvala, the management team includes the director of sports Kaj LindströmTechnical Director Tom Fowler and project manager Yuichiro Haruna. Haruna is responsible for the team’s finances and budget, Fowler for the technical side. Lindström’s role in the team is also big: he is responsible for logistics, paperwork and communication during the competition. On Latvala’s plate is media communication and promoting the internal atmosphere of the team and the drivers.
– The most important thing as a team manager is to support the drivers and make sure they stay relaxed and focused. When the driver smiles and has a good feeling, then you have succeeded.
Latvala’s team manager’s position in Jyväskylä is replaced by Toyota’s CEO Akio Toyoda.
Both fun and useful
Although the reason for Latvala’s unusual decision to compete in Jyväskylä is above all fun, Latvala says that at the same time he is looking for more information about the car and its features. He wants to better understand how the new hybrid jockey and its additional powers work.
– These are things I try to relate to when I talk to drivers. I feel that this experiment helps to understand what they need. I don’t focus too much on the technical side, that’s not my role, Latvala says.
Read also: Will Jari-Matti Latvala succeed Kalle Rovanpera in Jyväskylä? This is how the expert evaluates – “One second per kilometer is worth the jacket”
The condition for Latvala’s dream to come true was that Toyota is in a good position in the World Series in terms of points. After Kenya, the matter got its seal from the team management. Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä leads the Drivers’ World Championship by 41 points ahead of his teammate Elfyn Evans. Toyota’s lead over Hyundai in the Manufacturers’ World Series is 48 points.
Latvala last drove a WRC1 car four years ago. He has tried to maintain the feeling by driving 4–5 races a year, albeit with older historic equipment. In a first-class car, the speed is a good three seconds faster per kilometer.
– The most challenging part is getting the eye used to the speed again. After such a long time, I am realistic, the goal is to get into the 5–10 group. The biggest pressure is to stay on the road, otherwise it looks really embarrassing, Latvala laughs.
– There is also only one test day in Jyväskylä, many of them have been limited for this year. The factory team’s test days dropped from 30 to 21. The visiting driver’s test days are also limited, so let’s go with these, he adds.
Significantly more competitors registered for the Finnish World Cup Rally than last year. 44 car companies registered for the 2020 competition, this year as many as 68. The number is the largest since 2018.
The Finnish World Rally Championship will be held on August 3–6, 2023. Ralliradio and ‘s website follow the events from start to finish.