Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team are preparing to take on a new challenge at Rally Latvia this week, searching for victory with a full four-strong driver line-up.
This will be Latvia’s debut in the FIA World Rally Championship, taking over the place in the schedule held in recent seasons by neighbouring country Estonia.
Based on Rally Liepāja, a round of the FIA European Rally Championship, the event will be run on fast gravel roads similar to those found in Estonia, but is sure to provide its own particular challenges for the drivers, most of whom have not competed there before.
One driver arriving with previous experience in Latvia will be reigning world champion Kalle Rovanperä, who began his rally career in the country as a teenager, winning the national championship in 2016 and 2017.
Fresh from their remarkable victory at Rally Poland following a late call-up, Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen will be making their 50th start with TGR-WRT since stepping up to the top level with the team in 2020.
Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais are set to make a welcome return to action in Latvia, after they were forced to miss Rally Poland following an accident during reconnaissance.
It will be the first time Ogier has competed in Latvia, as it will be for teammate Elfyn Evans. Their respective co-drivers have taken part in Rally Liepāja previously – Scott Martin tasting victory alongside the late Craig Breen in 2015 – but only when it ran as a winter rally on snow and ice.
Evans and Martin will be looking to build on a strong second place finish in Poland which saw them close to within 15 points of the championship lead.