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Toyota will field top drivers in Portugal to extend lead in WRC focusing on both individual and manufacturer championship points.
Toyota is set to unleash its full driving force at the upcoming Portugal World Rally Championship (WRC) event aiming to expand its slender seven-point lead over Hyundai.
For the first time this season both part-time drivers will compete together creating a formidable lineup that includes reigning world champion Kalle Rovanpera and eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier.
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Rovanpera, who has dominated the Portugal WRC rounds in the past two years, and Ogier, a five-time winner of the event, are designated to score manufacturer points along with Elfyn Evans, a strong contender for this year’s title.
Their teammate Takamoto Katsuta, although not scoring for the team, will vie for individual glory, adding depth to Toyota's strategy on the gravel roads of Portugal.
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Jari-Matti Latvala, Toyota's team principal, expressed his strategic intent for the season, prioritizing the constructors' championship.
“It will be great to have all four of our drivers with us in Portugal. This year we wanted to bring them all together on at least one rally and this was a good opportunity to do it," Latvala said in an interview with Toyota portal.
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Latvala also discussed the challenges posed by the championship's new points system, which has tightened the competition.
"With the new points system, it’s been difficult to make big differences in the manufacturers’ championship so far. In Portugal we will have three drivers that have won the event before, plus Taka who has also been very fast, so it’s a strong line-up for this rally," he added.
Rovanpera and Ogier bring a wealth of experience and past success, which could be pivotal in navigating the demanding stages of the rally.
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Meanwhile, Evans will have to overcome a potentially tricky road position to maximize his points haul against his championship rivals.
Katsuta, freed from the pressures of contributing to the manufacturer's tally, is eyeing a podium finish, building on his previous close calls where he finished fourth in both 2021 and 2022.
“I’m looking forward to these next rallies on gravel and I’m confident that they can be good events for me. Portugal especially is a rally that I like and I know the stages pretty well, and our car should work well there," Katsusa said.
"There are some famous stages like Fafe with many jumps, and some stages that are very rough with a lot of rocks, especially on Friday. But if it’s going well, I will try to push as much as I can. As I’m not registered to score points for the team on this event, I have no pressure on that side and I can just focus on driving fast and trying to do my best.”
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