It was, if we’re honest, one of the least surprising answers in the history of the World Rally Championship.
Turns out Jari-Matti Latvala is not a fan of watching events from home.
Toyota’s super-successful team principal missed last month’s third round of the series, Safari Rally Kenya, as he recovered from winning the opening round of the European Historic Rally Championship in Spain the previous weekend.
“I had done two rallies in a row,” Latvala told DirtFish, “and Kenya would have been the third. I think it would have been a little bit too much.
“I have to be honest and say it was a strange weekend. I knew the rally was there. Everybody was there and I wasn’t there. There’s a part of me like, you know, in one way, I would have wanted to be there. And it was a little bit difficult to watch the stages because I wasn’t there. It was harder than I thought it would be.
“I must say I was a little bit feeling down. It was the first time now for many years, first time I was at home and watching a WRC round since 2020. I missed a rally when I was racing [at Fuji 24 Hours], but that was different.”
The 2020 season, where Latvala entered one rally as a driver, was the last he wasn't properly present
Team principal since the top of the 2021 season, Latvala admitted he struggled not being in the regular on-event beat – but having four-time world champion Juha Kankkunen as a deputy helped ease any anxiety.
“When I was watching the powerstage when Taka [Katsuta] rolled it was difficult,” he said. “I was asking the team if he is able to continue and what’s the situation. It was a bit frustrating to watch, but on the other hand Juha did a very, very good job there – and Juha enjoyed it. This side was really nice, really nice to hear.
“I had been a little bit in contact with Juha before the event, but not during the event. I wanted to leave him alone to do things his way. We had talked during Monte Carlo about the different approach for the drivers, for Taka and Sami [Pajari]. For Elfyn [Evans], he is more focused on his own things, especially during the event – he’s not speaking so much. It was just to explain a little bit the situation, but Juha knows these things.”
With the next two WRC rounds clashing with his European Historic commitments, Latvala won’t be back in the team principal’s seat until Rally Italia Sardinia.
“It won’t be so bad for Spain and Portugal,” Latvala added. “Yes, I am missing them, but I am busy competing, so I will be focused on what I am doing. But, of course, between stages, I will be checking what is going on with the team.”
Latvala made the perfect start to his EHRC program with a conclusive win at Rally Costa Brava aboard his Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD.
