Toyota Yaris WRC Set for Crucial Mixed-surface Spectacular
October 18 2019 - 4:37AM
JCN Newswire (English)
The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team is confident of taking
its strong form onto both gravel and asphalt in the season's only
true mixed-surface event, Rally de Espana on October 24-27. Heading
into the penultimate round of the year, the stakes are high: Toyota
Yaris WRC driver Ott Tanak leads the drivers' standings by 28
points and could clinch his first title in Spain, while the team is
just eight points from the lead in the manufacturers' standings
after wins in three of the last four events.
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2019 Yaris WRC |
The rally is based in Salou on the Costa Daurada to the south of
Barcelona and consists of one day of medium-speed gravel stages
followed by two days on smooth and fast asphalt roads that are
often likened to racing circuits. Uniquely, teams convert their
cars from gravel to asphalt specification in an extended evening
service after Friday's opening leg, and drivers have to quickly
adjust to the change of surface the following morning.
Following shakedown and a ceremonial start in Salou on Thursday,
this year's rally begins on Friday with two loops of three stages
held mostly on gravel, although there are some sections on asphalt
in the La Fatarella--Vilalba stage, the longest of the weekend at
38.85 kilometres. Saturday has two loops of three asphalt stages,
followed by a short stage in Salou itself. Sunday consists of two
runs over the Riudecanyes and La Mussara stages, separated by
service in Salou, with the second pass of the latter test as the
rally-ending Power Stage.
Quotes
Tommi Makinen (Team Principal)
"We are on a good run at the moment and we need to keep pushing for
the best results in Spain and Australia, with the drivers',
co-drivers', and manufacturers' titles in our sights. We have been
preparing for Spain just as planned, with our pre-event tests on
both gravel and asphalt. The mix of surfaces can mean that this is
a tricky rally to get right, but we are confident in how our car
performs on both types of road. At the same time, we are taking
nothing for granted and everyone is working hard to provide our
drivers with the strongest car possible."
Martin Jarveoja and Ott Tanak
"I'm looking forward to Spain. As always, I will aim to do my best,
but we need to be smart. We know that it could be tricky for us on
the first day, as we'll be running first on the road on gravel. The
weather could change things too: We saw last year that we can
easily get rain in Spain at this time of year. But I believe that
our performance should be good on both surfaces: We were already
fast on this event last year and hopefully that will be the case
again this time, and we can get the result we need."
Miikka Anttila and Jari-Matti Latvala
"The combination of gravel and asphalt in Spain is something I've
always really liked. The gravel stages are quite smooth but very
slippery, while the asphalt roads are best that we have in the
championship: really smooth and fast. I had a test on asphalt in
Spain last week and I had a really nice feeling in the car. I'm
very motivated and looking forward to being back in the car,
fighting for the best possible result as we try to win the
manufacturers' championship again."
Seb Marshall and Kris Meeke
"Spain is one of my favourite events on the calendar. I've always
enjoyed the mixed-surface challenge, and last time I did the rally
in 2017, I managed to take the win. I've had a really good feeling
with the Yaris WRC on asphalt so far, so I'm especially looking
forward to that part of it. On gravel, we know there will be a
couple of drivers who will have ideal road positions and can be
very strong on this event. With the manufacturers' championship
being so close now, we've got a job to do and we're certainly going
to have to be on our game."
What happened last year?
Ott Tanak led the rally until a flat tyre on Saturday morning
relegated him down the order. On the final day he was able to move
up to sixth overall and post the best time on the Power Stage.
Jari-Matti Latvala fought for the victory before contact with a
barrier damaged a wheel and left him to finish eighth, one place
behind Esapekka Lappi.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team is inspired by the motto: "ALL
FOR WIN" as it competes throughout the 2019 season. Our goal in
2019 is to fight for all three crowns. All team members are aiming
for this big goal together. We look forward to your continuous
support!
Summary report of previous event:
https://toyotagazooracing.com/wrc/report/2019/12/summary.html
About Toyota Motor Corporation
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that
introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first
mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in
Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today,
Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the
world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in
29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to
mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170
countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For
more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.
Source: Toyota Motor Corporation
Contact:
Public Affairs Division
Global Communications Department
Toyota Motor Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3817-9926
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