Toyota to resume WRC testing imminently

Ogier, Rovanperä and Evans all back in action in Finland in coming days

Kalle Rovanperä Toyota WRC Rally Mexico 2020

Toyota will restart its 2020 World Rally Championship challenge with a three-day test in the coming week.

WRC points leader Sébastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanperä will all be in action in central Finland during the test.

The three will test the current specification Yaris WRC, focusing on developments for the rest of this season.

Team principal Tommi Mäkinen will be present at the tests.

“I want to go to see them all again, it’s been too long a time and the plan now is to do some testing,” Mäkinen told DirtFish.

“We wanted to bring all the drivers to make sure we can remind them what driving is all about!

“We have some new items targeted for the car, this will be some development testing for us.”

Mäkinen remained tight-lipped on the subject of the 2021-specification Yaris. DirtFish revealed on Friday that the development of the new car had been canceled.

“We just want to see the cars running again now,” he added.

“How can we believe this situation [with coronavirus]?

“How has it been possible this thing has made so much damage to everything for everybody?

“It’s incredible, but now we are moving again in what has been a very strange time.”

DirtFish understands Toyota will run just three of the permitted four days of testing this week.

The FIA lifted its testing ban on June 1, with the teams agreeing on four days running (up from the original proposal of three days) before new testing regulations are inked at Friday’s meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

DirtFish’s Colin Clark will be in Finland to cover the tests, and you can read more about his plans for the week later today – and keep up to date all week via #DirtFishWRCtest as well as the website.

Comments