Toyota needs to have at least three full-time drivers contesting the 2025 World Rally Championship, according to team principal Jari-Matti Latvala.
His comments followed a difficult weekend at the Acropolis Rally, where Latvala admitted that the team’s drivers’ and manufacturers’ title were “pretty much gone” following a 1-2-3 for rivals Hyundai.
Reflecting on the way the title race has unfolded to Autosport last Sunday in Greece, the Toyota boss said that the team’s decision to field two full-time drivers in Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta and two part-time drivers in Kalle Rovanpera and Sebastien Ogier has not been enough to challenge for the titles.
Toyota reshuffled its line-up for this season after two-time world champion Rovanpera’s decision to go part-time this year to “recharge his batteries” ahead of a full-time return next year.
When asked for his thoughts on the team’s 2025 line-up, before Wednesday’s shock decision to replace Katsuta at Rally Chile with rising star Sami Pajari, Latvala said: “What I have learned this year is that for 2025 we need to have three drivers who will do the full championship.
“This is clear now that having part-time drivers and if you have only two drivers doing the full [championship], that is not enough to win the title.
“We can have a fourth driver who can do part of the championship, but three drivers need to be doing a full season.”
When asked if he felt there was a lot of work ahead to finalise the team’s 2025 line-up, he added: “There’s things we need to now consider and we need to think about.
Takamoto Katsuta, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Photo by: Toyota Racing
“I can’t speak about the line-up, not yet.”
Rovanpera is contracted and expected to return to a full-time drive with the team next year, which will be a boost for the Japanese brand that has won the last three drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
“Kalle has already mentioned himself that that he is doing a full season and this is what we have been targeting,” said Latvala.
“It is clear that if Kalle drives, then it’s a full season, we just need to check a couple of things. But that is the way we want it to be.”
However, next season poses an interesting proposition for Toyota regarding its driver line-up, with plenty of options at its disposal.
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