Toyota changes everything! The Japanese team has just unveiled its three new teams for the 2020 season. Ogier and Ingrassia will be accompanied by Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanpera.
Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia , six-time WRC world champions, will be at the start of the Monte Carlo on January 23, driving a Toyota Yaris WRC. Toyota has just formalized this signature that seemed to have been registered for a few days already. Indeed, since the signing of Ott Tanak, WRC 2019 champion, at Hyundai and the departure of French from Citroën, followed by the withdrawal of the brand, the destination of the crew was little doubt if he wanted to remain competitive.
“The goal is to succeed together and try to win back the world title, ” said Sebastien Ogier in a statement of the brand. After a half-hearted season at Citroën, the French will discover a new team. ” We will do our best to perform as quickly as possible, ” he said. Rendez-vous in January 2020 at Monte Carlo to try to register their eighth time at the top of the ranking, which would be a record. Remember that Ogier and Ingrassia have won the last 6 editions of this rally in addition to that of 2009 at the wheel of a Peugeot 207 S2000.
No doubt a last challenge for the French crew whose 2020 season should be the last. The opportunity to glean a 7th world title but especially to have been titled in three different teams. Only Juha Kankunen and Tommi Mäkinen , their new boss at Toyota, have achieved that.
More broadly, the Toyota team is getting a makeover for this season 2020 because in addition to the French duo, she welcomes Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanpera. The Welsh, who has already raced with Ogier at M-Sport, wants to cross a new course and “win rallies more often“. As for Kalle Rovanperä, who won the WRC2 2019 World Championship at the wheel of a factory Skoda Fabia Evo R5, his arrival in the premier category will be synonymous with learning according to him. Indeed, for the Finnish 19, “the first challenge will be to learn the car and the new rallies of the calendar.” But bet that his learning will be fast as he seems talented. No doubt the
Tommi Mäkinen, the boss of the team Toyota Gazoo Racing will have a triplet of choice to manager during this season 2020. The opportunity to win back the world constructor title (won in 2018) which he missed in 2019 for only 18 points. A title finally won by Hyundai who, remember, has been engaged in the discipline since 2013.
But these arrivals leave Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke without flying for the time being. The big boss of Toyota, Akio Toyoda , did not miss to greet these two crews. The transfer window is far from over. If the horizon seems blocked at Hyundai, with an already complete line-up, the departure of Elfyn Evans opens the doors of a Fiesta WRC of M-Sport for a new crew. To be continued.
