TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT

[Rally Power]

With regards to Ogier my impression from end of 2016 is that Tommi didn't actual want him and was ordered by Toyota to let him test.....

Ok, probably having Ogier would add more pressure on their first year…but then, why let him do a test on a wrongly tuned car and take the bad publicity? Japan asked Makinen to make the test and Makinen ‘sabotaged’ it? It’s all a bit hard to believe...especially knowning that the car was improved before homologation and the wet tarmac conditions were new to the team.

Honestly, I hope Ogier will go to Citroen just because it’d be a guarantee of having all manus fighting for the win, but it’s hard to understand that the world biggest car manu won’t fight to have the world best rally driver, no matter who runs their team.

[electroliquid]

Honestly, I hope Ogier will go to Citroen just because it’d be a guarantee of having all manus fighting for the win, but it’s hard to understand that the world biggest car manu won’t fight to have the world best rally driver, no matter who runs their team.

I believe it's not Japanese way to do things like that, to buy best driver and then take credits. Maybe they want to build best car and to prove it by letting car be driven by those, who are fast but not already proved themselves?

[mknight]

Ok, probably having Ogier would add more pressure on their first year…but then, why let him do a test on a wrongly tuned car and take the bad publicity? Japan asked Makinen to make the test and Makinen ‘sabotaged’ it? It’s all a bit hard to believe...especially knowning that the car was improved before homologation and the wet tarmac conditions were new to the team.

Honestly, I hope Ogier will go to Citroen just because it’d be a guarantee of having all manus fighting for the win, but it’s hard to understand that the world biggest car manu won’t fight to have the world best rally driver, no matter who runs their team.

Well Tommi himself said 1 month later that it was right for Ogier to turn them down cause the car wasn't good then.... which really begs the question why they let him test on wet tarmac which was new for the car in the first place. Malcolm put Ogier in Fiesta on dry gravel on their own test track.

[pantealex]

They want Ogier now but case was different year ago: Think if worlds best driver can´t be competitive with your car, who to blame? Yes, car.

[EstWRC]

i was just thinking with the rumours that Malcolm cant hold all of his drivers....Ogier, Latvala and Tänak in Toyota would be quite a lineup...Lappi in 4th car.


well, one can dream

[Rally Power]

i was just thinking with the rumours that Malcolm cant hold all of his drivers....Ogier, Latvala and Tänak in Toyota would be quite a lineup...Lappi in 4th car.
well, one can dream

I was about to mention the possible fears of a VW steam roll remake if Toyota gets Ogier alongside Latvala and Lappi and you’re adding Tanak to the lineup…for some that would be a nightmare, not a dream!

Seriously, current situation is different from 2012 and the general balance probably won’t get affected by next year drivers moves. Btw, I agree with mknight on Tanak: he would probably have more chances to become champ at MSport (without Ogier) than in Toyota, alongside Latvala and Lappi. Time will tell.

[doubled1978]

Well Tommi himself said 1 month later that it was right for Ogier to turn them down cause the car wasn't good then.... which really begs the question why they let him test on wet tarmac which was new for the car in the first place. Malcolm put Ogier in Fiesta on dry gravel on their own test track.

I thought Ogier tested in Rheola (Walters Arena) and not Greystoke?

[Simmi]

I thought Ogier tested in Rheola (Walters Arena) and not Greystoke?

Correct. Still though I guess it's somewhere M-Sport know well and not some unfamiliar stretch of wet tarmac.

[racerx1979]

Toyota wants nothing to do with Ogier.

Lappi and Latvala are confirmed for 2018. They're looking at Tanak and Suninen if Hanninen isn't let go. If Hanninen does well he might even stay on the team...0

[GravelBen]

Well Tommi himself said 1 month later that it was right for Ogier to turn them down cause the car wasn't good then.... which really begs the question why they let him test on wet tarmac which was new for the car in the first place.

IIRC they said it was largely down to scheduling issues - that was more or less the only time Ogier could/would travel to test it, and they already had that test planned well in advance.