Toyota’s double world champion Kalle Rovanperä will not contest Central European Rally, the next round of the World Rally Championship.
While the Japanese manufacturer had listed four factory GR Yaris Rally1s – for Sébastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari – on the entry list for the Passau-based penultimate round of 2024, there was speculation that Rovanperä could be a late addition.
Asked at the end of last week’s Rally Chile whether he would be competing in the tri-nation event, Rovanperä and the team remained unsure.
Team principal Jari-Matti Latvala has since confirmed to DirtFish that his countryman will not be present – and he explained why.
“We had a contract with Kalle for a set number of rallies this season,” he said. “And, of course, he stepped in and competed in Poland for us [following Ogier’s recce accident]. The plan originally was to bring Kalle to CER, but now we had to exchange this one [for Poland] and it’s not possible.”
Rovanperä clinched his second world title by finishing second on last year's Central European Rally
Asked if he thought that could impact on Toyota’s hopes of retaining the world championship title for the fourth season in succession, Latvala added: “Of course, we would have liked to have Kalle with us, but we are at the maximum number of events [in his contract] and we can’t force him to drive.
“First of all for the drivers’ championship, we know this is starting to be very, very difficult. I think our main aim and our main target is now in the manufacturers’ championship. In Chile we were able to take [the gap] from 35 down to 17. This is giving a really good boost and motivation for everybody inside the team.
“I know that we don’t have Kalle going to CER, but we are still, let’s say, feeling good and Sébastien, we know he’s strong. Elfyn was also showing really good performance now in Chile. So I think they both are in really good form.”
