Hyundai is in the winning position, but it has the most to lose.
That’s the mindset Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala is carrying into next week’s World Rally Championship showdown, where Toyota will duke it out for the manufacturers’ title on Rally Japan.
Hyundai has already secured the drivers’ title – with one of either Thierry Neuville or Ott Tänak lifting that next week – and has a decent advantage in the manufacturers’ race too.
Never before in its WRC history has it done the double. Toyota meanwhile has done the double in each of the past three seasons. But conversely, failing to secure a world title this season would be the first time that’s happened to Toyota since the year it rejoined the championship back in 2017.
“Of course it’s not the easiest job, but we are still in the game,” Latvala told DirtFish.
“You need to have maybe 1-2 [on Saturday], and you need to also do a good Sunday and a powerstage. It doesn’t look very easy, but we did it in Chile.”
The key thing for Toyota is it’s completely in control of its own destiny. It trails Hyundai by 15, but if it claims maximum points across the weekend it will outscore Hyundai by at least 17.
“And then when going to Japan, there is also pressure on Hyundai because their drivers are having a fight for the championship,” Latvala added.
“And the pressure is a funny thing what it does. It also makes driving a bit different, and that can also open a bit the door for us in that sense that I think Thierry with his first time having a chance to win the title doesn’t want to necessarily attack all the time, and then that can open the door a bit more for the manufacturers’ championship.
“So that’s why I said it’s still a chance. It’s not easy but there are still cards on the table.”
Hyundai is in the favored position with the points actually in-hand, but Latvala’s point is that Toyota has no distractions with just one championship to chase.
“Yeah exactly, there are more things on their side,” he said, “but yeah for sure, we can’t win the drivers’ championship. This is clear that Hyundai will have the driver winning the drivers’ title.
“I would say that it’s not been an easy season for us. A lot of things have been happening. They’ve been more consistent, especially on the Sundays. Hyundai have been more consistent and not having, let’s say, retirements like what we have had on the Sundays, which have been affecting quite a lot for the championship.”
Latvala’s counterpart at Hyundai, Cyril Abiteboul, said he feels “pride and relief” that the drivers’ title is secured for the first time in Hyundai’s history, and is aware there remains a job to be done.
But he seemed to refute Latvala’s suggestion that Hyundai could be distracted, viewing the drivers’ title equation as a mission accomplished rather than a quest that will burden the team.
“When everything can be lost, you can see that with all the thin margins that everyone is driving to or operating with, that you can win or lose everything,” Abitebould told DirtFish.
“Just look at the huge points of swing it happened in Greece, it happened also a bit in Chile, it happened in CER again. So you see that lots can be at stake.
“So once something is already secured in the bank, then you can focus on the rest. And we will at least need that in order to give a hard time to Toyota.”