There’s nothing Jari-Matti Latvala loves more than rallying. He lives it, he breaths it, he gets it.
But there’s an itch to scratch – the Toyota team principal is yet to experience the latest generation of rally cars on a competitive stage.
Latvala last drove a contemporary machine on a competitive rally stage in 2020, when he took part on Rally Sweden driving a Toyota Yaris WRC.
But aside from a demonstration in Japan at the unveiling of Toyota’s Rally1 car, he is yet to drive the new hybrid machines in anger.
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Latvala has previously made no secret of his desire to try the car on a national rally, and he hasn’t given up on his pursuit.
“We will see. If I have a chance it will be at the end [of the year] anyway, the second half of the season and towards the end of the year,” Latvala told DirtFish.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a big chance, but maybe there’s a small chance.
![WRC_2022_Rd.3_242](https://www-dirtfish.imgix.net/2022/05/WRC_2022_Rd.3_242.jpg?fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=520&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=70&w=780&wpsize=entry-main)
“But I will push for it. I tell you I will push it but there’s no promises.”
It’s unlikely that the Toyota boss would make a Rally1 appearance on a large scale event this year, but a regional Finnish rally could be on the cards if the Japanese manufacturer makes a car available.
“Yeah, if I could have a chance it would be a small rally, a one day rally.”