TOYOTA GAZOO Racing goes for glory on home roads finale

Quotes:
Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)
“As one of our home events, Rally Japan is very important for our team and I think it’s going to be a really exciting rally for everyone to follow. All of the main championships are still to be decided, including in WRC2. We still have a chance in the manufacturers’ championship, and we are very motivated and determined to try and win it in Japan. It may take almost a perfect weekend from our side, but we achieved that in Chile which gives us confidence that it’s possible, as does our amazing 1-2-3 finish in Japan last year. It’s a demanding rally for the drivers and at this time of year the weather can be unpredictable, but this also gives us opportunities. Elfyn won there last year and relishes those kinds of conditions, while Seb will want to finish the season on a high and Taka is feeling confident for his home event after his strong finish in Central Europe. Lastly, it has been great to see the performance of the GR Yaris Rally2 car this year, together with that of Sami Pajari, and if he can win the WRC2 title in Japan it would be a fantastic story.”

Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“We always receive a very warm welcome driving for Toyota in Japan. Of course, with that comes a lot of expectation to do well but it’s also something we can thrive off. We still have something to fight for in the manufacturers’ championship, and even if it is a difficult task ahead of us, we want to give it our all and give ourselves the best chance. To repeat our result from last year will definitely be the aim: it was a pretty difficult event with a lot of rain and a lot of leaves on the road, and conditions could be similar again. Even if it’s dry, the roads are more technical and twisty than Corsica, which was famous for the number of corners, so it’s a very demanding and busy event both with the pacenotes and with the steering wheel.”

Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 17)
“It’s always exciting to go to Rally Japan, and especially this year given we are still in a fight to try and secure the manufacturers’ title. We know that we are not in the ideal position and we need a close-to-perfect weekend for the team, but it’s definitely not out of reach. Our performance recently has been good and on my side, we want to turn around our fortunes and transform that speed into a good result. The stages in the forests in Japan can be very difficult and conditions are always a big question mark, especially as the event takes place one week later this year. Of course, as Toyota drivers we always feel such strong support which is very nice and we will try to bring home the result that all the fans are hoping for.”

Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)
“I am really looking forward to Rally Japan. Of course, I always feel a different kind of pressure at my home rally, but it’s a nice kind of pressure: I am really excited to drive in front of my family, my friends and all the fans. Last year, I felt really good in the car and the weekend went well except for one mistake. This year, I want to try and make a good result happen. I think the most important thing will be to assess the situation and the conditions and try to use my performance when I feel confident, a bit like I did on the Central European Rally. It will be challenging but I don’t really mind whether it’s wet or it’s dry: I will do my best and hope I can perform well.”