TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Set for Monte Magic
January 13 2017 - 4:14AM
JCN Newswire (English)
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has completed its testing program ahead of
its long-awaited return to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC)
after a break of 17 years and is ready for the legendary Rallye
Monte-Carlo. The event takes place from January 19th-22nd on tricky
mountain roads when conditions can vary between dry asphalt, ice
and snow.
http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_ToyotaYaris%20WRC113.jpg
Yaris WRC (test program)
Led by Tommi Makinen-four-time World Rally champion and quadruple
Rallye Monte-Carlo winner-and with a strong driver line-up
consisting of Jari-Matti Latvala (#10), one of the fastest rally
drivers in the world, and the vastly experienced Juho Hanninen
(#11), the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team has all the
ingredients in place ahead of this exciting adventure.
While Toyota has enjoyed considerable success in the World Rally
Championship in the past, the Yaris WRC project represents a new
chapter in the company's long and illustrious motorsport history
with its continued commitment to making ever-better cars through
motorsport. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team is keeping its
expectations for 2017 firmly in check as it prioritises car
development and learning over outright results.
The legendary Rallye Monte-Carlo is the oldest rally in the world
and runs for the 85th time in 2017. It also marks the start of a
new era for the WRC with revamped technical regulations resulting
in faster, wider, lighter and, above all, more spectacular
cars.
At just under 380 timed kilometres, Rallye Monte-Carlo is not the
longest event on the calendar, but it's probably the trickiest.
Changeable weather and stage surfaces mean tyre choice and car
set-up are often compromised, while the role of the ice-note crews,
who provide last-minute information on stage conditions, becomes
even more crucial.
Following the traditional ceremonial start in Monaco's Place du
Casino at 18:11 CET on Thursday January 19th, two night stages in
the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region provide an early-and stern-test
ahead of Friday's second leg, which is the longest of the rally at
more than 160 competitive kilometres. The rally then begins its
journey south from Gap to Monaco on Saturday via five mountain
stages ahead of Sunday's route, which includes two passes over the
infamous Col de Turini. The prize-giving ceremony at the Palais
Princier de Monaco begins at 15:00 CET.
Akio Toyoda, Team Chairman (Summary)
Toyota is about to return to the WRC. I had an opportunity to speak
to Jari-Matti, who joined our team last month, at the Rally Finland
in 2014 when he showed me photographs of the first rally car he had
ever driven, a Corolla GT, and the first WR car he had ever driven,
Corolla WRC, and talked about his enthusiasm for Toyota. I think we
were linked by fate somehow, although I had no idea at the time
that Toyota would return to compete at the WRC or that he would
join our team.
Juho knows the Yaris WRC better than anybody else, and he's worked
to refine the Yaris WRC since the earliest days of its development.
Jari-Matti has worked daily to improve the car since the team's
press conference last December, encouraging us all to build
"ever-better rally cars". Their co-drivers Miikka Anttila and Kaj
Lindstrom round out the team, which is led by Tommi. Backing that
effort is everyone working at Toyota, the partners who support our
vision, and all the fans who cheer us on. Together, this large
group has finally begun a new journey toward making ever-better
cars.
Winning a rally is no easy feat, but I'm confident that the energy
from such a broad base of supporters will reach the team, the car,
and the drivers. I look forward to your continued support.
Tommi Makinen, Team Principal
The most important thing is to go to Monte-Carlo with a relaxed and
open attitude. It depends so much on the conditions there and
everything can change in a split second. It's hard for me to say at
the moment where we really are in terms of performance and it's
unlikely that Monte-Carlo will give us any definite answers either,
as it is such a different rally to everywhere else.
The tight schedule has been the biggest challenge. Of course all
the teams have had to build new cars from scratch this year, but
they can rely on experience from the past.
I can pass on a little bit of my personal experience to our drivers
from Monte-Carlo, but in the end it's all down to them and the car
now. Our target is to get good mileage from this rally, so I will
be happy if we have both cars at the finish and arrive in the same
minute as the leaders. That would be a fantastic way to continue
our development, which is always an ongoing process. As we say in
Toyota, we should keep continuous improvement: we just keep on
making the car ever-better!
Jari-Matti Latvala, Driver (Yaris WRC #10)
Two months ago, I would never have imagined that I would be
starting Rallye Monte-Carlo with Toyota, so that's really exciting.
In total I've done 12 days of testing: four days on snow, one day
on gravel, and seven days on asphalt. That's a good amount of
testing and we've made some useful steps in that time. The car
feels very strong but in terms of performance it's difficult to
say, as everyone comes with a new car. In any case this year is all
about development: For Monte I would like to finish the rally well,
then maybe towards the middle of the season we can start to think
about podiums.
Monte-Carlo is so unpredictable that it's not a good idea to set
too many targets: in 2015 I didn't have a particular plan and I
finished second, so in 2016 I was aiming for the podium and then I
ended up making a mistake! For any driver, Monte is quite a big
stress during the event, because of all the unknown factors and
tyre choices, but when you cross the finish ramp in front of the
Royal Palace on Sunday, it is one of the best feelings you will
ever experience in the sport.
Juho Hanninen, Driver (Yaris WRC #11)
I've done Rallye Monte-Carlo four times before, but just one time
with a WR car. And actually the last rally I did was Finland in
2015 so as you can imagine I really can't wait to get started now!
I've had a very good feeling with the Yaris in testing but of
course you never know what happens when you put numbers on the
doors, and it's been quite a long time since I last competed.
I'm not thinking so much about the result in Monte: I just want to
have a relaxed drive and of course get to the finish. We still have
plenty to learn but I think it will get easier once we are into the
season.
This is the first rally I will drive with Kaj and he is a fantastic
guy to work with: I think I have spent more time with Kaj than with
my family over the last few months with all the preparation we have
done. In fact the whole atmosphere within the Toyota team is very
nice: It's a family feeling, which is something that Tommi has
taken care of. The guys have been working so hard, but they are
still smiling and joking all the time. Like me, everyone is really
looking forward to getting started.
Message from Team Chairman Akio Toyoda
Toyota is about to return to the WRC. At our team's press
conference at the end of last year, I explained that it was the
support from our enthusiastic fans and a sense of gratitude to our
capable predecessors that led me to decide to return to the
WRC.
Right before that conference, we decided that Jari-Matti Latvala
would be our other Yaris WRC driver.
I met Jari-Matti unexpectedly at the Rally Finland in 2014 and had
a chance to talk to him. At the time, he was a driver for
Volkswagen.
When we spoke, he pulled out his smartphone and showed me
photographs of the first rally car he had ever driven, a Corolla
GT, and the Corolla WRC that he drove for his first WR Car. He also
talked about his enthusiasm for Toyota.
I think he was talking to me not as the president of Toyota, but as
a fellow car and Toyota lover.
At that time, even in my dreams I didn't imagine that Toyota would
return to compete in the WRC or that Jari-Matti would join our team
to drive our car.
When I heard that we had signed a contract with him, I recalled the
look on his face when he was showing me those photographs and felt
certain that fate had brought us together.
When he came from the test track to attend the team's press
conference last December, Jari-Matti talked about building
"ever-better rally cars" refering to our words.
In fact, I hear that he's continued to work during the testing
process to refine and improve the car by offering advice about how
to make it a more capable competitor.
He also described himself as "coming home to Toyota." In response,
I'd like to welcome him back.
My own eagerness to compete in the WRC's first race, the Rallye
Monte-Carlo, has only grown now that we've welcomed Jari-Matti to
the team, and I can't wait for the rally to begin.
Juho Hanninen knows the Yaris WRC better than anybody else, and
he's worked to refine the Yaris WRC since the earliest days of its
development. Jari-Matti Latvala started his career driving Toyotas
and has extensive experience driving in the WRC. Then there are
their co-drivers Miikka Anttila and Kaj Lindstrom. Those four; the
drivers and co-drivers will be racing the Yaris WRC that was
created by the team of Tommi Makinen.
A new journey to build ever-better cars is beginning with many
fellows including Toyota's employees, the partners who are helping
us achieve our vision, and all the fans who cheer us on.
We hate to lose, and we don't plan to lose. However, this isn't a
rally that can be won easily.
I'm confident that the energy from such a broad base of supporters
will reach the team, the car, and the drivers, and I look forward
to your support for Toyota's entry in the WRC.
About Toyota
Supported by people around the world, Toyota Motor Corporation
(TSE:7203; NYSE:TM), has endeavored since its establishment in 1937
to serve society by creating better products. As of the end of
December 2013, Toyota conducts its business worldwide with 52
overseas manufacturing companies in 27 countries and regions.
Toyota's vehicles are sold in more than 170 countries and regions.
For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.
Source: Toyota
Contact:
Public Affairs Division
Global Communications Department
Toyota Motor Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3817-9926
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