TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team is preparing to tackle the Rally Latvia, a new challenge in the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. From July 18 to 21, the team will compete with four drivers, aiming for victory in this debut event in the world championship.
The Challenge of Rally Latvia
Latvia replaces Estonia in the WRC calendar, based on the Rally Liepāja of the European championship. This rally will be held on fast gravel roads, similar to those in Estonia, but with its own unique challenges. Most drivers have not competed in Latvia before, adding a level of uncertainty.
Experience and Return of Drivers
Kalle Rovanperä, world champion, is one of the few drivers with experience in Latvia, having started his career in this country and winning the national championship in 2016 and 2017. After his victory in Rally Poland, Rovanperä and his co-driver Jonne Halttunen will make their 50th start with TGR-WRT.
Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais return after missing Rally Poland due to an accident. It will be Ogier's first participation in Latvia, as well as for Elfyn Evans, although their co-drivers have previous experience in Rally Liepāja when it was held in winter. Evans and Scott Martin will aim to improve their second place in Poland and close the 15-point gap to the championship leader.
Team Objectives
In addition to aiming to get closer to the manufacturers' championship leader, Takamoto Katsuta, who returns to Latvia for the first time since 2015, is also targeting a strong result. The team will have five GR Yaris Rally2 cars in WRC2, with Sami Pajari looking to lead the championship after his recent wins in Sardinia and Poland.
Rally Development
The service park will be located in Liepāja, while Riga will host the rally start on Thursday evening with a special stage at the Biķernieki circuit. Friday will be the longest day with 120.92 competitive kilometers, without midday service and with tire fitting zones. On Saturday, stages will be near Liepāja with midday service. Sunday will conclude with a pair of repeated stages.
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