The Toyota Gazoo Racing team faces the RACC Rally with the aim of certifying the manufacturers’ title after having won the drivers’ and co-drivers’ title in New Zealand with Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen.
Kalle Rovanperä and his co-driver Jonne Halttunen are already WRC champions after winning the recent Rally New Zealand. This means that Toyota Gazoo Racing has already won two of the three titles at stake and only has to confirm its superiority in the first year of the WRC’s hybrid era. winning the constructors’ title. With a good result you can achieve it in the Rally RACC de Catalunya.
The Spanish appointment supposes the return to the asphalt, a surface on which the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 has also been very fast. Furthermore, the team’s driver line-up is packed with talent and any of its three crews can claim victory on the Catalan stages. They will look for this victory Kalle Rovanperä as defending champion Elfyn Evans to break his particular negative streak and Sebastien Ogierwon in Spain three times.
Kalle Rovanperä: “The big goal now is to win the constructors’ title for Toyota”
finn Kalle Rovanperä faces his first rally as WRC champion: «It’s been nice to have a few days to appreciate what we’ve achieved in New Zealand, but there are still two rallies to go where we want to perform as strongly as possible. The work does not stop. As soon as we returned to Europe we did the tests thinking about the RACC Rally. The big goal now is to win the constructors’ title for Toyota.».
Along these lines, the new WRC champion stressed: «It would be great if we can win the constructors’ title in Spain.. It is a very nice rally with fast and flowing roads. The stages are the closest thing we have in the World Championship to what is experienced on a racing circuit. That means we must be quite precise in drivingbut it’s really nice when you do it right.”
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Elfyn Evans needs to wake up
Elfyn Evans looking for a good result in the RACC Rally that allows him break losing streak that he is going through after adding two consecutive retirements: «Spain is a pleasant rally, more so now that it is all on asphalt. The stages are on faster roads than we have encountered in any other rally. Spain has a different character than any other asphalt test».
A scenario in which Evans was second in 2021: «The RACC Rally is a test in which the differences are quite tight, so we can expect a very close weekend. The constructors’ championship is an important goal for the team and the easiest way to achieve it will be with a good result. Hopefully we can achieve it and thus help Toyota to get the last title at stake».
The ogier factor
sebastien ogier returns to a stage that he knows well and in which he has achieved very good results: «New Zealand was a good comeback for me after a few months away. It was a really special weekend in which we achieved an important double with the constructors’ championship in mind, eitherobjective that we have to close in Spain. For me it is good to have this asphalt test at this time of the season.”
«This rally gives me the chance to pick up the pace on tarmac and it will also help me to be prepared for Japan, proof that for obvious reasons it is very important for the whole team. Before we have work to do in Spain to get the best possible result here. Roads are always great to ride. I’m sure it will be a strong fight for victory” added Ogier.
Photos: Toyota Gazoo Racing