Toyota WRC boss Latvala is making a rare return to the WRC for his home event to pilot a fourth Toyota GR Yaris entry.
It will be the first time the 18-time WRC rally winner will compete at the top level since a one-off outing at Rally Sweden in 2020 prior to taking up the team principal role at Toyota.
The decision to contest Rally Finland, which was only made after Toyota’s dominant 1-2-3-4 at Safari Rally Kenya last month, is born out of a desire to drive the Rally1 hybrid generation WRC car in competition.
To prepare for the fast gravel rally, which he has won three-times previously, Latvala drove the GR Yaris at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last month, prior to a test day on Finnish roads yesterday, alongside co-driver Juho Haninnen.
Speaking ahead of this week’s rally Latvala says he has realistic expectations before revealing that compatriot and four-time WRC champion Kankkunen has set him a modest goal for the weekend.
“I know I haven’t been driving for four years at the top level car,” Latvala told Autosport.
“I know myself it will be tough in the first couple of stages. The target is to try to improve over the weekend. If I can have better stage times than what I have at the beginning of the rally, then that is a good step forward.
“Juha Kankkunen has given me a plan. He is going to be in Finland working as a Toyota ambassador and he has said that my result should be between fourth and eighth.”
Source: Autosport