Jari-Matti Latvala and map reader Janne Ferm are excited about the changes in the Jyväskylä World Rally Championship. Latvala says that Toyota has focused on reliability since the beginning of the season, followed by fine-tuning.
When the World Rally Championship continues in Croatia in April, Toyota’s young man will start from the front Kalle Rovanperä. Rovanperä, 21, leads the World Championships with 14 points ahead of Hyundai Thierry Neuvillea.
The rally season began in Monte Carlo in January, when the 48-year-old French champion won the Hyundai Sebastien Loeb. He became the oldest race winner in rally history. Second place went to 38-year-old Loeb countryman Sebastien Ogier. However, neither of the French grandmasters is running a full season anymore.
The most important thing since the beginning of the season has been reliability
Toyota team manager Jari-Matti Latvala says that Toyota ‘s reliability and momentum were already seen in Monte Carlo. However, the win was missed when Ogier suffered a flat tire.
– It was disappointing, but then in Sweden Kalle ‘s victory and Esapekka Lapin third place raised the profile of our team a lot. It also meant that we had a pretty good neck in the brand championship fight, Latvala is happy.
Based on the two races, Toyota is firmly committed to its goals, but Latvala believes the competition will intensify, especially as Hyundai raises its level.
– We’ve had quite a few problems. That has been our strength. Everyone has had some small problems, of course, but we haven’t had a car that had to stop.
– We tried to invest in making our car reliable. Now we have just started to focus more on fine-tuning the suspension, for example, and start looking for better performance in the car. In that sense, we have succeeded since the beginning of the season, Latvala bundles.
“I have to admit that Kalle leads the series” – the spring gravel rallies big challenge
Finland has wondered whether Kalle Rovanperä will bring the next World Rally Championship to Finland. Marcus Grönholm won the title in 2002, but has since gone to Norway once (Petter Solberg), once to Estonia (Ott Tänak) and as many as 17 times to France (Loeb or Ogier). Or rather, the question has been: when will Rovanperä bring the much-needed championship?
– When we talked about Kalle’s championship opportunities at the end of last season, I said that 2023 is more realistic. Of course, now he has to admit that he is leading the series. The chances are up this year, Latvala will start, but reminds that last year Rovanperä also led after two races.
He then drove out in Croatia when the race was only five kilometers behind. There were also problems in Portugal, Sardinia and Kenya before Rovanperä was able to celebrate the opening victory of his career in July in Estonia. Latvala believes that Rovanperä has learned a lot from last season.
– But when leading the series, gravel races in the spring, such as Sardinia and Portugal, play a crucial role when you have to drive the first car and plow loose gravel off the road surface. It is a really difficult role, and it is very crucial how successful it is when the championship is fought, Latvala reminds.
– But like I said, Kalle is a quick guy to learn, a very cold-nerved young guy. There are opportunities, but let’s see over time.
Esapekka Lapland did great in Sweden – next to the unknown and “dull conditions”
The Swedish World Rally Championship was also a great success from Esapekka Lapland, 31, who did not win a WRC team last season. This season, he will drive Toyota’s third car with Ogier. The Frenchman drove in Monte Carlo and the Finn in Sweden. In its first race of the season, Lapland immediately rose to the podium and was third.
– He did a great job in Sweden. It was assumed that if he could be in the top three, it would be a top score. A top five would have been a good result. Esapekka also had chances for second place, but he didn’t go greedy, but decided to take third place and a more secure score. A really mature solution, Latvala praises.
Lapin kartturi Janne Ferm is on the same lines.
– Yes, it was a great success. We knew the team was good and the car was working, but still, after a long break, racing against everyone else and getting on the podium felt like a win.
Next, Lapland and Ferm will jump to the unknown in the words of the co-driver as they continue with Toyota in the Croatian rally. Lapland has no experience of the Croatian rally unlike its competitors. Croatia was part of the World Cup for the first time last season.
– There are really gloomy conditions. Others have an advantage, but let’s go do it on our own. I think we can drive well there too, but there are a lot of things ahead that are completely new to us, Ferm ponders.
According to Ferm, the duo will not give equalization to others in the number of tests this season. According to the rules, each participant in the rally will receive one test day before the race. The advantage for opponents is that the Lapland-Ferm duo has less routine after a break year.
– We are taking more steps here than others, Ferm laughs confidently.
Changes in the Jyväskylä Rally fascinating – “Raises the mood to a whole different level”
The route of the Jyväskylä World Rally Championship was announced on Wednesday, which shows a lot of changes compared to last season.
Latvala and Ferm are satisfied with the changes.
– It is always interesting for the driver when it comes to turnover. Now it has been possible to import a new one and change the schedule of special exams from last year. The biggest changes are the new special stage in Vekkula and Lankamaa, which has not been run for years. To top it all off, the Harju special stage will be run in a new form, Latvala, who won the Finnish World Rally Championship 2010, 2014 and 2015 in Jyväskylä.
– Whenever there is a change, there is more preparation, but the rally is to drive on as many unfamiliar roads as possible. I think these changes were really great and there are enough challenges for all drivers, Ferm praises.
According to Latvala, because the differences in the current rally are small, it is difficult to make detachments with familiar special stages. So he sees “the scene of the attack” as the longest special stage of the race in Lankamaa, which will be run twice on Friday. Similarly, solutions can be seen at the new Vekkula EK.
Both Latvala and Ferm are particularly pleased that the public will most likely also have access to the Pavilion’s service area. Leader of the competition Kai Tarkiainen said he wanted to restore the “old mein that it is a rally meeting place in the middle of the city” to the service area. Last season, the public had no access to the service park due to the coronation situation.
– Since March 2021, the public has not had access to service areas at the World Rally Championship. Now a little quiet it is going in a better direction. In Jyväskylä, it is really important that people get into the service area. It raises the profile and feel of the rally to a whole different level, Latvala inches.
– After all, Finland is a great place when that audience is there. Last year, there were a lot of crowds and transitions, but the emptiness of the service park was grim. It’s good that we’re getting back to normal, says Ferm.
will follow the events of the Jyväskylä World Rally Championship on 4–7. August. will show in the Arena and application from the beginning to the end of each special stage of the World Rally Championship in Jyväskylä, and the race will also be followed by the legendary Rally Radio. You can see everything about ‘s rally season, such as the race schedule, here.