Juha Kankkunen couldn't hide his smile. Amidst the roar of Rally Chile, the Finn watched Toyota secure their sixth consecutive WRC manufacturers' title. The team needed only seven points to seal the crown, but they wrapped it up in style: a one-two finish with Oliver Solberg taking victory ahead of Sebastien Ogier, the same pair also fastest on Super Sunday (in reverse order), and Toyota locking out the top five on the Power Stage.
For Kankkunen, this success is no big secret. The Finland-based team works with precision but also knows how to have fun. "The biggest secret is these guys here. I have the best drivers," he said with a smile. He also credited the entire, sizable team. "Of course, it is also about the car. We have a fantastic team. All the mechanics, engineers and everyone else work really well together and keep the cars in good condition," he added.
Kankkunen stressed there's nothing special beyond hard work and teamwork. "Even if the cars suffer minor damage, they repair it and keep them running. The drivers are happy and smiling when they have a good car. There is no other secret to it: hard work and everyone working together."
The championship fight intensified in Chile. Points leader Elfyn Evans suffered a puncture on the penultimate stage and dropped from second to fifth. Teammate Sami Pajari is now 17 points behind, with Solberg 22 points adrift. Kankkunen expects a thrilling battle over the final two rallies. "It will certainly be interesting. There will be plenty for the spectators to follow as the boys fight among themselves. I am sure each of them will give everything because they all have a chance," he said.
Toyota's job, according to Kankkunen, is to provide the best technical support and keep the drivers happy so they can fight fairly. "We want them to be happy and able to fight among themselves to decide who is the best this year."
Most importantly, there will be no team orders. Toyota has long insisted that championships should not be decided by team orders, and that remains the case this year. "The championship will be decided by who is the best. I think it would be unfair to do otherwise. I lost ten years of my own driving career to situations like that, and even then I thought that if I were ever running a team myself, I would never tell a driver who was driving well, 'Hey, let the other one past,'" Kankkunen stressed.
With that attitude, Toyota not only achieves on track but also upholds sportsmanship and pure competition. The remaining two rallies will be the stage for Toyota's drivers to prove who deserves the 2025 WRC title.
Read Also
Rally Chile 2026 reshapes WRC title race: Solberg closes in, Evans pressured, Neuville struggles. Full analysis and standings.
Elfyn Evans' championship hopes suffer a blow after a puncture in Rally Chile. The incident tightens the WRC title race.
Taylor Gill and Daniel Brkic ended their 2026 WRC2 season with a fourth-place finish in Chile, matching their best result and showing impressive speed.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!