Latvala on WRC Croatia, Toyota's strong start and more

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He's back! Actually, he never left.

Last week, we talked to Jerry Matty-Lavallat all about the impending Olympus rally outing

in a factory Toyota GR Corolla Rally RC2.

Go back and listen, it's a fascinating insight into what's to come in Washington next week,

but this week, Jerry Matty, we're all about Croatia.

You know, I was going to say, what a start to the year it's been for your team.

Win, win, win, podium lockout, podium lockout, all of that.

And you think, well, how long has it been since, oh, last year.

You did it last year as well. Do you get used to all of this success, Jerry Matty?

I think, let's say, you don't necessarily, 100%, I mean, you don't get used to it,

but the expectations are growing.

And your expectations are that you should be able to fight always for the win.

And that's always the case that when you go to the event and when you win,

there is a risk sometimes that you think that the winning is getting normal,

but it never should get absolutely normal because it's always something special when you win.

Because meaning that when you win, you have to work for it, you have to do things right.

It's not that it's an element which comes to you on the straight table.

So that's always something you have to remind back in your head that the day when you start to get it too comfortable,

then the others will pass by you quite quickly.

So that is a challenge in part which you have to add used in your head.

Yeah, there is no place for complacency.

And last year, we saw an incredible start to the year.

I think seven wins on the bounce and then we got to Estonia and everybody expected an absolute whitewash in Estonia.

And you talk to Tom, Fowler and other people around the team and they say,

look, if it wasn't for Oliver Solberg in Estonia, we would have lost.

There was Tanak there strong in the Hyundai.

Every now and then you need these events, don't you?

And then obviously Acropolis came soon after that and it just wakes you up a little bit again.

Doesn't it? It hurts more maybe when you were used to winning.

Yes, that's a good way to say it because it wakes you up.

Because then when you get a little bit comfortable with these winnings,

then comes a moment that you realize that, OK, wow, the others have been working hard

and they found out something more than the others.

So like Oliver Solberg, when he came to Estonia, he was out from the box

when he was doing the testing, finding a little bit different setup than our top drivers.

And then the setup was working and he basically was very comfortable with the car

and he won the event.

Then we did the correction with the other guys for the Finland.

But that's sometimes like when you are too much in your own circle,

these moments comes up that somebody goes a little bit out from the box

and finds something else or does things a little bit differently.

But you need also these moments because that keeps you more in the game.

Because if you don't get them, then it can start to go step by step downhill

if you are comfortable with the winning all the time.

Yes, absolutely.

And you referenced there that Oliver Solberg obviously looked for something different

from the GR Yaris rally one and he found that he took the car in terms of a setup

in quite a different direction in the softness of the car

and not necessarily talking suspension, talking about the transmission

and the way that the diffs are locking.

It's quite different the way he drives the car.

And for sure, we know that Elvin and the other drivers have tried

and still struggle to get that same feeling that he does.

Going into Croatia, how different will Oliver's setup be for Tarmac

than it would be for Gravel?

Oliver's driving style is when you look at the way he has been driving

for instance in Monte.

He has a very, very good confidence for the front of the car with the turning

and the way he is turning, it's just making it very easy turning

and he trusts the front a lot.

So yeah, on Gravel he is different, but on Tarmac it's not so big difference

with the car, especially when you go like a normal Tarmac event.

Monte is different because especially this year with the conditions

so the car had to be quite different than a normal Tarmac event.

But now the Croatia is in Tarmac event and generally speaking

the cars will be quite similar.

Yes, and obviously Croatia, it is four starts in the WRC on the calendar,

four wins for Toyota.

How confident are you of continuing that run into five?

Now the location is in a different place.

I think there's only three stages which are similar than done in the past

so there's a lot of new stages.

So then it also makes the question that who can make good base notes

on the new roads, who is riding the confidence.

So it's not necessarily all about how is the setup of the car

but now it's also the matter of the new stages

who can find the good feeling with those stages.

So I expect now also that the Hyundai will be closer.

They've been a bit behind, I must say.

They haven't been on the level I expected them to be

but now in Croatia I think there is a chance that they will be

jealous of us a lot more.

And of course we hope to see also sports forwards

that they would be also joining for the fights.

But like I said, I think overall this event is more,

now will be more focused with the notes

and with who can get comfortable with the new roads.

Yes, absolutely. You talked a little bit about it there.

We obviously look forward to the challenge from M Sport Ford.

The guy who comes into Croatia on the back of a win is of course John Armstrong,

one at European Championship level in the Fiesta last year.

John is demonstrating quite a lot of confidence,

early doors in the season.

He's a little bit older.

Jari Mati, have you been surprised at what you've seen from John?

Yeah, for me he has done some really, really good stage times.

Like Monti was running very well.

Unfortunately he just had to retire on the final day.

But overall he's been very positive to see his performance

and I think it's good for the championship,

good for the Ford M Sport team of course.

And hopefully he could even fight for the podium in the future events.

Yeah, absolutely. You know that team very well.

You know what a result like that would mean to them.

But it is a very difficult rally Croatia

and one of the aspects that Alvin talked a lot about after his test

is there's an element of guesswork here

because you are setting the differentials, the ramp angles,

what you want from the car.

You're setting that for Croatia.

That is then paired of course with Canaries.

How difficult a job is that?

Because you know we saw snow on the test last week for Taka.

We could have snow next week but then we could get to Croatia

and it could be 22, 23 degrees and bone dry.

It's a compromise isn't it?

It is a compromise because in Canaries the roads are very different compared to Croatia.

In Canaries you don't cut at all.

You know to clean very, very clean like a racing circuit style of Tarmac event.

When in Croatia you know it's still dirty and cuts and Tarmac is changing a lot.

So yeah, for sure it is not an ideal situation

which you have to do the compromise with the differential setups.

So yeah, you have to be a bit cautious always what you choose.

What you feel like on the test road if this feels extremely good

but you have to remember that you can't build it for that road

and for that rally that it needs to also work.

So you might need to think about it a little bit rethink

and maybe take the option which you feel good.

You know there would have been better option

but overall you have to think about the package of two events.

Yeah, for a driver that's really frustrating isn't it?

There's no doubt about that.

Yes, yes.

Yeah, no it is.

We spoke about Taka very briefly there, some snow on his test

but who cares about snow when you've just won Safari.

That was a big win for him.

Yes, it was a huge win.

It's something which he has been looking forward to for a long time

and it meant a lot to him.

It's been close and I told him on rally speed

and I said Elvin was very strong over there

and I said when you get those podiums

and the podiums is making your self confidence stronger

the wind will follow you

but it's very difficult to come with the situation

when you don't have a good result underneath

and then you try to win the next event.

It's always a big challenge

because if your self confidence is not in the right level

or the high level let's say, it's more difficult

and the situation that he comes in the difficult positions

and tries to win the event

and he has done a great job in Japan and in Kenya

and in Sweden earlier

but not being able to really get that victory

and now he came

so I think it will boost overall his self confidence

but also gives to Newspark for the future

because he has achieved one step on his carry.

Absolutely.

Just take us back briefly

just a few years to Sweden 08

when you won your first ever WRC round

what does it do to you?

Do you sleep easier at night?

It must lift some of that burden off your shoulders.

It definitely does.

I came with the bad event, Pat Monte Carlo

when I came to the first event to win it

and I remember how easy it was afterwards to go to Mexico

you know the energy level that you had

and the feeling that you had to go to the next event

it was so much easier than earlier

I mean it's just you could feel and breathe easier after that victory.

Yes, although breathing in Mexico is always quite difficult

because of the altitude.

But yeah, Taka, championship challenger this year?

Let's say that I think this year

Taka will do good results

I'm not sure if this is the year to really just challenge the championship

I think next year is the stronger year for Taka

really to be a championship challenger

Who's here?

There is still some difficult events

I think where Taka is

where we just need to get with him

a little bit more experience

and let's say improve the performance

we know that the areas with Taka

he's good in Sweden, he's good in

and normally Kenya, Portugal, Japan, Finland, Estonia

but there are some events where also we need to improve

the performance level

which he hasn't felt necessarily so comfortable

because overall in the championship

if you want to be world champion

basically in even in the bad days

you need to be in top four

when it's not going well

you need to be still top four

to score the points for the championship

Yes, that's very true

What are we...

Elvin Evans is looking stronger than ever this year

Last year we would have said the same

and then up on his blind side came a Frenchman

who'd won it already eight times

and beat him to the line for a ninth championship

What do you do if you're Elvin Evans this year

that you are in the box seat

you're looking strong

all of the ducks look like they're lining up beautifully

for a championship

how do you just stay focused and just do your job?

Elvin has been so close so many times

and then earlier when it was the moment

when we thought that it's his year

then Kallero Van Bera came and won the title

so of course that was a bit devastating for Elvin

and I think the important part is now

that the experience taken from the past

is that concentrate on his own job

his performance level is there to win the title

he has, he's strong in every event

he's the most consistent driver of the championship

Last year maybe one win more could help him

to be a champion

so maybe those just a couple of more wins

is needed for the year

but the biggest thing is for me

is that he doesn't take the pressure from Oliver Schulberg

it's the reminder that not to take the pressure

like what happened with Kalle

that is something that he needs to just focus his own performance

and then he has everything to

all the tools are there to win the title

yeah absolutely but I mean it has been a pretty astonishing start

hasn't it for Oliver to come in to win Monte

to show the pace that he's shown in Safari and Sweden

it's almost impossible not to see him as a championship challenger this year

yeah I think he's a challenger really

you can see that he's grown up

he's very mature the way he has been driving of course winning Monte

but even in Sweden when he had some moments

he realised that he has to back off a bit

and take the points for the championship

so he also understood that side

and I think that is making him stronger now

and really be a championship challenger this year

yeah absolutely that's this year done

we are now looking forward to 2027

what are your thoughts

obviously there's a lot of chatter right now about 27

the new cars coming in constructors

all of that side of things

what are your thoughts looking forward to 27

well at the moment if I look for instance

the start list for the Croatia

and I can see that there is more than 30 rally 2 starting

and the earlier years of let's say the early 2000s

we had more than 30 close to 40 world rally cars

starting the WSE events

so this is what I hope to see next year

is that in the main category we have this big number of the cars

where there's a lot of privateers, where there are manufacturers

but yeah the main class we have a big number of the cars

and I think that's now the right actual way we are going

and I hope will happen next year

I think for the championship that would be very good

yeah if you were a privateer how excited would you be

at the prospect you know Jari Mati-Lavoli

you could restart your career you can go out

and I'm sure you'll get a discount on a GR Yaris rally 2

you could win Monte Carlo

yeah if I think about back you know the day when Nitro for instance

you know we when we came to the world championship

there was some events we run the old WSE Corolla

and the thing is that when you tried to

you knew that with an old car but you know in private hands

that if you could show some you know strong states times

and that could maybe lead something and now that

that is coming possible

because now it's been difficult with the rally ones

they've been so expensive cars that there are a lot of drivers

and especially younger drivers

they can't afford to rent the rally one

but they know they can afford to drive with the rally 2 car

and they know that now there is easier to show the potential

so which basically is giving me more opportunities

to the young drivers

and then also to be boosting the starting list

if you think about in the past there's been like

for instance in the 90s Italian driver Kunico

he won the San Remo as a private ear

so it has happened before

and even you know Harry Rovanbera with the private WSE Corolla

was basically showing his performance in rally Finland

and with that performance you know he got to deal with the Peugeot

then for the year after

so that is the right action now

and what I like about the new regulations for the next year

Yeah, no absolutely but there is of course

there is another car coming the WRC 27 spec car

we've seen pictures, some footage of Toyota's prototype car

I understand you haven't driven it yet

but how excited, do you think you might get the keys soon

how excited would you be to get behind a wheel of that?

I haven't driven the car

of course it's always excited to test the new cars

at some point you know it would be nice if our technical right

don't follow gives me gives the opportunity at some point to test it

so of course it would be nice to see the car

I mean it's great that we are preparing for the season

and even though we have the new car

still it's very difficult to make big differences

between the current rally 2 cars and the new cars

the regulations is quite strict

so I don't think there's going to be any big differences

but I think the main difference is where you can do the

is probably a bit higher dynamics

where you can make the difference compared to rally 2 cars

Yes, yeah but I remember when you started in your Rollers team principle

it is important to have an understanding of how the car works isn't it

to interact with the drivers to understand what they are talking to the engineers about

Yes, it is absolutely right because

you know sometimes when you follow the discussions with drivers

and we are talking about the setup you know I had to change the differential

because the car was understeering and you know we changed the springs

because the car is not you know with the rear is oversteering too much

and then you know then when you have experience of the driver or the car

like I mentioned at some point that

in the stories when I talk about the GR Corolla and the GR Yaris

the difference is that you know that the nature of the car is

every car has a different nature

and when you know the nature you know what the car needs

and what are the tricks and that is something you want to experiment

that it's easier to communicate with the drivers

Yeah, now one car that has a great nature

is your Celica Turbo 4WD ST185

the car that you won the historic championship with

what can you tell us about your season back in that car

competing with the Celica again this year

how exciting is that story?

Yeah, it's been very nice to start the season in Costa Pará

there were some new cars

the more modern cars because now you can enter in the championship

even the cars up to the year 2000

so there is two different tarmac championships

but some events are you know the same

and it was nice to see these cars you know new cars

Renault Clear Williams sees for instance running up there

Superwind Predsa's and so on

and then to see the level of the Celica where it is compared to the others

so that's nice and also those events

there's always great atmosphere

and I you know really

enjoy the driving the car

it's a great car to drive

even though it's an old car but it doesn't feel that old I have to say

No, I would agree with that having sampled it with you

good with it was an experience

definitely

and Franco Delacorte in a 306 Maxi that really takes us back doesn't it?

Yes, Francois is a very quick driver

and driven that car in the past

so I think there will be some events where we will be meeting each other

so it will be definitely very inspiring

and exciting to see the level of Francois

and on his 306 Kitka compared to me and with the Celica

so looking forward to those competitions where we are

starting against each other

Absolutely, Jari Matty as ever

it's an absolute joy to have you joining us here on Spin the Rally pod

Thank you very much for your time

You're very welcome

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