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Japanese manufacturer Toyota has announced its six-driver lineup for the upcoming World Rally Championship season, though one driver will only run a partial campaign. This raises the question of who will step into the cockpit for the rounds Kalle Rovanperä sits out.
The two-time world champion will drive alongside Ott Tänak and Takamoto Katsuta for Gazoo Racing Toyota in a GR Yaris Rally1. Meanwhile, their teammates Elfyn Evans, Oliver Solberg, and Sami Pajari will represent Toyota Racing in GR Celica Rally1 machinery.
Sébastien Ogier was absent from the team's official launch, but sporting director Kaj Lindström stressed that the former champion remains a pivotal figure for the squad and is keen to contest selected events next year. However, the Frenchman will not cover all the rounds Rovanperä misses.
Team principal Jari-Matti Latvala outlined the team's strategy to DirtFish:
"The idea is to have six drivers at every rally. At Toyota Racing, we have three full-time competitors. At Gazoo Racing Toyota, we rely on two permanent drivers and one open seat. Kalle Rovanperä will drive in roughly half the season. There is still no final decision on Sébastien Ogier, but it will be a few rallies. We will also offer the seat to young talents showing strong form, making decisions as the campaign progresses. We want to give them the chance to drive a Rally1 car."
Latvala clarified that candidates do not necessarily have to come directly from the Toyota Challenge talent development programme, provided they are competing with a GR Yaris Rally2 in the WRC2 championship.
The rotation of drivers will depend entirely on the team's event-by-event strategy. Rovanperä confirmed that his schedule will mainly feature rallies where he feels confident and enjoys competing, covering around half the season.
The Finn is expected to kick off his campaign at the season-opening round in Monte Carlo, stating that the current plan is to start there.
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