Toyota might be interested in renting out a fifth Rally1 chassis later this year, according to team principal Jari-Matti Latvala.
Late last year Toyota confirmed that adding a fifth chassis to its Rally1 roster could be a possibility, but it wouldn’t be any sooner than the second half of 2022.
The Japanese manufacturer currently has four chassis in competition, two of which are being used for the entire season by Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanperä, while its Next Generation driver Takamoto Katusta has the third chassis.
A fourth car is also being alternated between eight-time WRC champion Sébastien Ogier and Esapekka Lappi.
Latvala originally said last November that a fifth chassis would likely run as a second car in the Next Generation team alongside Katsuta.
But the 18-time WRC event winner has hinted that if a fifth car were to be introduced, Toyota’s rally division would want to rent it out.
A decision will not be made until the summer.
“We have to have a look because we have a possibility for the fifth chassis for the second half of the season,” Latvala told DirtFish.
“But we have to see what Toyota will decide if they want to.”
“We are looking at options if we could rent it but it’s now [up to] Toyota, what they want to do [and] if they want to rent it.”
Lorenzo Bertelli was scheduled to be the first privateer Rally1 driver on Rally Sweden, renting a Ford Puma from M-Sport before Milan Fashion Week work commitments forced him to withdraw.
Given Bertelli’s Sweden no-show, Jourdan Serderidis is now first in line to debut a Rally1 car in privateer hands as it stands, having announced plans to enter Safari Rally Kenya in June with the Puma he bought earlier this year.
The first privateer Rally1 car
Jourdan Serderidis has already bought a Ford Puma Rally1 – find out what he plans to do with it:
