World Rally Championship: Latvala already gives Toyota a victory
RALLY WRC SWEDEN It took Toyota only two attempts to celebrate its first WRC victory in 17 years with Jari-Matti Latvala. A Swiss team was not present in Sweden, and this will not be the case again until the fourth WRC round in Corsica. Jari-Matti Latvala felt similarly happy on Sunday as Beat Feuz after his terrific downhill home victory [...]
Jari-Matti Latvala felt similarly happy on Sunday as Beat Feuz after his terrific downhill home victory at the World Ski Championships in St. Moritz. The Finn won the first of the two Scandinavian World Championship rounds in Sweden. After 2008, 2012 (with Ford) and 2014 (with VW), this is the fourth triumph for Latvala at the only real winter rally on the WRC calendar.
This is Toyota's first direct hit at the second attempt. The last time Frenchman Didier Auriol came out on top was in the Corolla WRC in China in 1999. As a reminder: From 2017, the World Rally Cars will be wider, more powerful and generally more attractive. Following Volkswagen's withdrawal, their manufacturers are fighting for the new supremacy.
As at the Rally Monte Carlo, Thierry Neuville was initially in the lead. By the 15th special stage, the German-speaking Belgian had extended his lead to 43.3 seconds. Then the unthinkable happened, as he cut off his Hyundai i20 WRC on the spectator SS that concluded the second stage. Already at the Monte, he was clearly ahead until the last SS on Saturday before eliminating himself in a similar manner.
Latvala, who had also been acting confidently but more cautiously up to that point, took over the top spot with the flawlessly functioning Toyota Yaris WRC. With the fastest time on all three stages on Sunday, the Finn, who has long been trained by Swiss mental coach Christof Treier, proved that he more than deserved the victory. Latvala is now also the new WRC leader ahead of Sébastien Ogier, who had to settle for third place behind his Ford teammate Ott Tänak from Estonia.
Jérémie Toedtli back in the Skoda Fabia R5: First Corsica, then Chablais
Unlike in Monte Carlo, no Swiss team was present in Sweden. This is also not to be expected at the next WRC rally in Mexico. On the other hand, Switzerland will be represented again at the fourth WRC round in Corsica in April thanks to Jérémie Toedtli. As the 2016 SM bronze medalist announced, he will be competing in a Skoda Fabia R5 at the Rally France. The young man from Neuchâtel took a surprising podium finish with the same rental car at the Rallye du Valais last October.
Toedtli also has a firm plan to compete in the Rallye du Chablais at the end of May. If he can find the budget, he wants to contest a second WRC round in 2017 and then again the big Swiss season finale in Valais.
