Quote Originally Posted by Allez Andruet View Post
That's a very good point and probably plays a big role in what we've seen from Hänninen so far in 2017. To be completely out for a year and then only to test during another definitely doesn't give you any competitive edge.

Modern WRC is anyway about driving at the limit on different stages for three days, whether you're actually "pushing" or not. That is something which is really hard to simulate during any kind of testing session.
When Latvala signed to Toyota, just a few weeks before homologation papers were due in, he demanded several big changes to be made it to Yaris, for example to differentials. Latvala got his wishes through, and as we remember he tested like a madman just before Christmas and due to that Yaris seemed notably faster.

I think this didn't work in Juho's favor. The six day test Toyota did in Finland before Sweden, Latvala started and videos from those days showed absolute speed. Then on Juho's turn he looked completely lost. He was reported saying finding no trust to the car after Latvala's setups and it took time to get it back more to his liking. Suddenly the car he had been developing and testing for thousands of kilometers was not his anymore. Clearly Juho have had difficulties in adapting to these changes. He have had his bad luck too. Monte Carlo he found a surprisingly icy corner and as we remember, that same corner caught half a dozen other crews on second run, most notably Andolfi to whom the tree was not so gentle anymore. Corsica mistakes should've been avoided for sure.

As we are listing his excuses, and I should go back to the source on this one to refresh my memory, but regarding his last start in Hyundai in Wales and his day 1 off road excursion, I remember reading from his column in VM Magazine at the time that mechanics have made a mistake with rear dampers fitting them somehow wrongly which made the car very difficult to drive.

It must be said I'm a Juho fan. He is about the most likeable guy in rallying, always showing his dry sense of humour. And on stages he is fast. This season is his first proper shot in WRC level as he is contracted for full season. He has made it hard for himself, but from the bottom of my heart I hope he could at least occasionally prove us wrong and deliver that good result.