The major announcement from Toyota regarding its driver line-up for next season has been put on hold, and now deputy team principal Juha Kankkunen has revealed the reason: Chairman Akio Toyoda is recovering from back surgery for a slipped disc.
Toyota was expected to make a big announcement during Rally Paraguay at the end of August, but the team gave no indication whatsoever about its plans for next year. Kankkunen has now shed light on the situation.
“I might go to Japan after Sardinia. Akio was supposed to come to Paraguay, but in the end he couldn’t because he needed back surgery for a slipped disc. He is recovering,” Kankkunen told Iltalehti, as reported by RallyJournal.
Toyoda serves as both Toyota chairman and chairman of the WRC team, making his presence crucial in strategic decisions, including determining the driver line-up for next season.
Meanwhile, the 2024 WRC season will conclude in Sardinia in early October after the FIA announced the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian round, which had been scheduled as the season finale. This makes Sardinia the final event.
At Sardinia, team principal Jari-Matti Latvala will take charge. After the rally, a delegation from Toyota’s WRC headquarters in Jyvaskyla will travel to Japan. “There might be a few of us going there. We’ll have a bit of a get-together and figure out what we’re going to do,” Kankkunen quipped.
This suggests Toyota will announce its driver line-up for next season in October, after the current campaign has ended. The decision is highly anticipated given the team's performance and ongoing driver market speculation.
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