Toyota will want a “most efficiency” from its drivers and “slightly little bit of assist” from M-Sport Ford to disclaim Hyundai the World Rally Championship producers’ title in Japan.
This 12 months’s championship will go right down to the wire with Toyota trailing Hyundai by 11 factors heading into the ultimate 5 levels of the Rally Japan season finale on Sunday.
Toyota started the weekend 15 factors adrift of its Korean rivals however a robust Saturday the place Elfyn Evans completed second, Sebastien Ogier third and Takamoto Katsuta fifth has saved the Japanese marque firmly within the combat.
However Hyundai will nonetheless head into Sunday as favourites with Ott Tanak having set the tempo this weekend to ascertain a 38-second rally lead over Evans.
Hyundai is nonetheless preventing for 2 titles as Tanak and Thierry Neuville are additionally vying for the drivers’ crown, the place the latter solely wants to attain two factors on Sunday to clinch his maiden championship.
Toyota crew principal Jari-Matti Latvala will instruct his drivers to be in full assault mode, however realises it will not be sufficient to retain the producers’ title it has held since 2021.
Ott Tanak, Martin Jarveoja, Hyundai World Rally Crew Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Picture by: McKlein / Motorsport Pictures
“It isn’t essentially what we wished [today],” he advised Motorsport.com. “We thought that with Elfyn having the efficiency within the morning he may problem Ott extra and if he may have gotten the lead as we speak it might have been a really attention-grabbing place going into the Sunday.
“We’ve got been capable of catch 4 factors greater than Hyundai however taking 11 factors on Sunday is kind of a problem now.
“It isn’t inconceivable however it’s going to want a most efficiency from all people and perhaps slightly little bit of assist from Ford.
“Ott has pushed fantastically so we all know how robust he’s. Our solely likelihood is that if Ott and Thierry are requested to safe their positions, the victory and the drivers’ title.
“All the things is relying on which temper Hyundai will begin tomorrow. For us it [the task] is evident.”