Estonia... We're calling you!!!
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Estonia... We're calling you!!!
Nobody puts together the funds and the organization-work for a WRC event in such a short timeframe. Only option to fill the gap could be that some other event (Turkey perhaps?) prefers this period of the year over their original date.
Jari-Matti Latvala kertoo rajusta pettymyksestään – tämän takia hän uskoo tulevaisuuteen: ”On aika kääntää sivut” https://www.is.fi/ralli/art-2000006324335.html
Latvala says he was informed approx a week ago, that he wouldn't be part of TGR line-up in 2020. There's no test role available either as Hänninen will continue as Toyota's test driver. Latvala also says he's targeting 2-5 events (with Toyota) next year and the funding for Sweden and Finland is "already secured".
It's doubtful the teams would accept to fly everything back to Europe after Mexico to do a European round and then go back to Argentina. The extra 2 long haul events added for 2020 only made sense financially with some airfreight savings by going back to back to back at Mexico-Chile-Argentina. Some one would have to pony up the dough to cover that cost before even thinking about asking the teams to do that.
Latvala has been around so long I forget he is not actually that old. With Ogier about to retire and hopefully more manufacturers coming in the future it makes sense for him to stick around even if he has to spend some of his own money to stay match fit.
Meeke is already quite old. It’s a shame he has been a victim of the Citroen withdrawal because I think he probably had a year or two left but it’s probably time for him to call it a day now.