Quote Originally Posted by Danny0405 View Post
I know about Hanninen always making the first job on the new Toyota cars but, even if he has more experience, he is now too much outdated to be alone to do the job (2 years since his last drive, 5 years since his last serious campaign and 10 years since his last RC2 drive).
It’s a bit like Meeke (and even worse), he can be in the process, he can make the very first tests after producing the test car but they need some current drivers to help to the development and give an opinion compared with current cars in race conditions. It’s what Skoda did with Mikkelsen and Lindholm.
While it makes sense to get a few different opinions, and it doesn't hurt to have current competitors / the next bright young thing driving your test car, what you're saying about Hanninen being 'outdated' is (and I'm trying to be polite here) absolute garbage.

In fact, the best riposte to that is two words: Lasse Lampi. He only ever achieved a single podium at WRC level, but is widely renowned to be one of the greatest test and development drivers of all time.

Did his last full season in 1994, but worked full-time well into the 2020s with WRC teams, either as a test driver, consultant, adviser, test road selector... he's one of the reasons Mitsubishi / Makinen won as much as they did.

A lack of recent competitive experience does not mean a driver can't test and develop a car properly. Having a lot of recent competitive experience does not mean a driver CAN test and develop a car properly (cough Citroen C3 WRC cough).

And last point - some manufacturers spend too much time worrying about what their competitors cars can or can't do, what their opposition is or isn't doing, rather than concentrating on just making the best damn car they're capable of. I expect Toyota won't fall into that trap.