Toyota Gazoo Racing team principal Jari-Matti Latvala believes the WRC Safari Rally Kenya later this month offers a perfect platform for the GR Yaris Rally1 squad to bounce back to winning ways.
Toyota, the manufacturers’ defending champions, are yet to register a win in the FIA World Rally Championship this season. They played second fiddle to Hyundai in the first two rounds — in France (Monte Carlo) and Sweden.
However, Latvala is determined to reverse the trend and prevent a possible Korean manufacturer’s hat-trick in Kenya on the March 28-31 Easter weekend.
“I am looking forward to Kenya,” Latvala said. “The timing is different, the date has come forward and will be run in the rainy season. This will be a big challenge. But I think reliability has been one of our strengths, which is good going to Kenya.”
Toyota has dominated the African fabled event which returned to the global series in 2021.
The Yaris has fended off the other two manufacturers, M-Sport Ford and Hyundai, in three Safari editions.
Despite that impressive track record on such a rough event, Latvala remains humble.
“We need to be patient. The first two events of the season didn’t go how we hoped. It’s a rally in which we want to bounce back.”
World champion Kalle Rovanpera — the 2022 Safari winner — headlines the Toyota Gazoo Racing team alongside regulars Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta.
Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi hopes to extend his fine form after a popular victory in Sweden last month. The Finn will pilot an i20 N Rally1 car alongside championship leader Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak.
Toyota Gazoo Racing won last year’s Safari through eight-time WRC titlist Sébastien Ogier, who will miss this year’s edition.
M-Sport Ford will field three Puma Rally1 marques. Adrien Fourmaux is fresh from his maiden podium in Sweden and will be joined by Grégoire Munster and Jourdan Serderidis in the British team’s line-up.
The battle in WRC2 will be as exciting as ever with Oliver Solberg, Gus Greensmith, Nicolas Ciamin and Kajetan Kajetanowicz in action.
Local drivers including Carl Tundo and Karan Patel should not be ruled out, nor should FIA Junior WRC regular Diego Domínguez — who makes his WRC2 debut in a Citroën C3.