Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala is keen to get behind the wheel on more than one round of the World Rally Championship season. Latvala, who holds the status as the second most experienced driver of all time with 213 WRC starts, has successfully combined his managerial duties with competitive driving over recent years.
Aside from a one-off outing at Rally Sweden back in 2020, Latvala's appearances in the WRC since his full-time career concluded in 2019 have been strictly confined to Rally Finland. Driving Toyota’s GR Yaris Rally2 machine, he has secured first or second-place finishes in the RC2 class of his home event for each of the past three successive years. Looking ahead to the 2027 campaign, Latvala plans to spread his wings further by targeting WRC's anticipated return to the UK.
"I probably will myself be still driving with the Celica, some historic events," Latvala told DirtFish. "I want to continue that, but the rest is still open." He further elaborated on his driving motivations, noting: "I had a fantastic feeling driving in Rally Finland with a Rally2 car. And Sebastien Ogier was now beating my record with the WRC starts. So of course it’s a bit tempting to try to do a few events, you know, and try to get the record back. So let’s see. There is a few events I would like to do. I must say that Rally Finland and Rally Scotland are the events I would like to do."
Having previously contested British national rallies, Latvala made his historic WRC debut as a 17-year-old on Rally GB in 2002 aboard a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI. Following his graduation to a full-time WRC seat in 2004, Latvala went on to claim prestigious victories at Rally GB in both 2011 and 2012. His prior experience in the region fuels his desire to tackle the Scottish stages once more.
"I’ve been driving in the Scottish Rally in the past," he stated. "OK, they are probably different roads but I know how is the forest over there and they’re really, really nice roads." Organizers have confirmed that the upcoming Rally Scotland event will officially be based in Aberdeenshire for the 2027 championship.
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