Toyota announces WRC plans

[BigWorm]

Only reason I could see for Toyota to sign Sunninen instead of Lappi is that Lappi has an offer elsewhere. Or economic reasons?

Or maybe they are just signing both.

[tommeke_B]

François Duval tested Yaris. According to him there's a lot of work on both engine and suspension.

https://scontent-ams3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...07324850_o.jpg

[Rally Power]

François Duval tested Yaris. According to him there's a lot of work on both engine and suspension.

https://scontent-ams3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...07324850_o.jpg

I bet that Yaris understeers like a pig!

[pantealex]

François Duval tested Yaris. According to him there's a lot of work on both engine and suspension.

https://scontent-ams3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...07324850_o.jpg

Looks much better with stickers

[Simmi]

Can't help but be intrigued by the Toyota contracts situation.

It's got to the point where Latvala is in the car today without any official communication. Are VAG playing hardball (same issue with Lappi)? Still some legal things to be worked out? I'm sure there's a reason that Toyota and all involved parties have had to be super defensive/secretive. Might not be their fault at all but it's just another thing that makes the team look haphazard from the outside.

[Allez Andruet]

Can't help but be intrigued by the Toyota contracts situation.

It's got to the point where Latvala is in the car today without any official communication. Are VAG playing hardball (same issue with Lappi)? Still some legal things to be worked out? I'm sure there's a reason that Toyota and all involved parties have had to be super defensive/secretive. Might not be their fault at all but it's just another thing that makes the team look haphazard from the outside.

I think it might be just that "Japanese" way of doing things, i.e. the team launch is on Dec 13 and nothing (except for Hänninen) will be made official before that. Mäkinen said in one interview (which was regarding the situation with Lappi), that they have a plan when to make the announcement(s) and they'll stick to that.

And in an interview released today by Finnish media giant MTV, Tommi said the plan (or actually "the target") is to announce the driver line-up on Dec 13, together with the car. The story can be read here (in Finnish):
http://www.mtv.fi/sport/ralli/uutine...an-ohi/6203830

But yes, it does look quite silly in a way when you have JML already testing the car.

[Rallyper]

And Ogier tested, and so did many others ...

[pantealex]

I personally know 10 drivers who have driven Yaris WRC and only 50% of those have deal with Tommi.

And no, I will not give all names

[N.O.T]

I personally know 10 drivers who have driven Yaris WRC and only 50% of those have deal with Tommi.

And no, I will not give all names

no need to give any names, we can name 10 finnish useless neverbeens and we probably can be 80-90% accurate

[spyros]

no need to give any names, we can name 10 finnish useless neverbeens and we probably can be 80-90% accurate

I dont thing JML is useless,he's one of the fastest and talented drivers out there,i have hope about him........