Toyota will complete its World Rally Championship defense without Kalle Rovanperä following news that the Finn will not compete at next month’s Rally Japan.
The Japanese manufacturer closed the gap on its series-leading rival Hyundai to 15 points ahead of the final round. Team principal Jari-Matti Latvala confirmed to DirtFish that Sébastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta would be registered for points in Toyota City.
“Kalle is not running in Japan,” said Latvala. “He had half a season and that half a season is already done from his side.”
Rovanperä, who skipped last week’s Central European Rally, has actually done more than half the year, tackling seven of a possible 13 rounds and winning four of them.
Rovanperä's final play of the 2024 season was his Rally Chile victory
While the team would be delighted to bring the reigning world champion back into the squad for its home round of the series – where it scored a 1-2-3 last season – this year has always been about Rovanperä taking time away from the sport to focus on his own interests.
Rival team principal Cyril Abiteboul was surprised at the news, but declined to comment in detail, saying only: “It’s difficult to read the dynamics going on inside the team, so I would not comment on that. I don’t know why. I just simply know, obviously, that it makes our life a bit easier.”
Latvala acknowledged a fourth straight manufacturers’ title wouldn’t be straightforward for Toyota, but it can still be done in its own backyard.
“It’s not the easiest job,” he concluded, “but we are still in the game.”
