The World Rally Championship (WRC) 2023 has started! Morizo and Jari-Matti Latvala, Team Principle for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team, shared an insight-packed discussion about the team at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2023. Here's the scoop on their shop talk.
The state of the team ahead of the first round
It was thoroughly enjoyable to hear about the battle between these two. From there, the topic shifted to the state of the team, which will compete in the WRC’s first round from next week.
Tomikawa
The ultimate in car building and people development is the WRC Rally1 Group, and the opening round at Monte Carlo is next week, which means the season starts this week, right?
Latvala and Haruna, is it OK for you guys to be in Japan right now?
Morizo
Their presence here demonstrates how important the Japanese fans are to us.
Latvala
Actually, I am leaving Japan tomorrow night for Monte Carlo with Haruna. I am very happy to have been able to come to Japan, but my schedule is a little tight.
However, I also thought coming to the Tokyo Auto Salon was very important, so I am happy that I could find the time to do so.
Morizo
In Finland, there is a rally run with historic cars, and Latvala is exhibiting a privately owned car that won that race recently.
Latvala
I feel honored to have been able to bring my car, a Celica, and display it at this exhibition. Akio made it possible.
Thus, I was able to show my car to all of you. If I win this current battle with Morizo, I might be able to show all of you the WRC Yaris 2017 next time, as it will be my car.
Morizo
If you win!
Tomikawa
But all of you would like to see the car Latvala drove to win in 2017? You have no choice but to win based on the applause from the audience.
Latvala
All of you, please support me! I want to show everyone the car!
Tomikawa
Everyone is giving a nice warm round of applause.
Morizo
Thanks so much, everyone.
Tomikawa
Haruna, how is preparation for the season going, is everything on track?
Haruna
The Monte Carlo race is next week, and preparations have been spot on. That is why we were able to come here. The team is divided into two groups, one is already on its way to Monte Carlo, and the other will go in a couple of days.
Tomikawa
I see. Latvala, what kind of shape is the team in right now?
Latvala
Tests have recently been completed, and I heard everything went well. I have also heard that the drivers are satisfied with the current state of things. We are ready to compete.
One interesting thing to note for this year is that Takamoto Katsuta will be driving as a member of the factory team. He will be part of the second team at Monte Carlo, so I hope all of you follow his performance this year.
Tomikawa
Takamoto performed consistently throughout the year last year, didn’t he?
Morizo
Yes. Although he had to retire from the race in New Zealand, the rest of his races were very stable, with top standings.
Tomikawa
He also made it to the winners’ podium two years in a row.
Morizo
There will likely be a lot of pressure on him as a regular driver this year because he will be expected to contribute to the team.
I hope he will use this opportunity to grow further and go on to the next stage of his development.
Family-like and professional
Tomikawa interviewed WRT members for a Toyota Times special feature before the start of Rally Japan.
He reported on the work of a team comprising 80 specialists that included not only drivers, co-drivers, and mechanics but weather forecasters and chefs as well.
On stage, he commented on the team atmosphere he had noticed during the series of interviews.
Tomikawa
This team has an at-home atmosphere; it feels just like a family.
Morizo
I think the team is family-like while being professional. Takamoto was mentioned earlier, but I think we have a lineup in which any member could become champion.
Kalle Rovanperä is the youngest and the first world champion from Finland in quite some time. Elfyn Evans, who is eagerly watching for opportunities, could win the championship anytime. And Sébastien Ogier, as you know, has won the championship many times.
Knowing who will stand out this year is difficult with team members like that. And there are also some fairly interesting rivals here and there, belonging to teams such as M-Sport Ford and Hyundai.
Tomikawa
Looking at this slide, we can see drivers such as Lappi and Tanak, who were once on the Toyota team.
When I went to Belgium, Hyundai’s Tanak won. I’m not sure I should say this, but as soon as he won, he didn’t go to the Hyundai team, but he came straight to Akio.
Morizo
That’s right (laughs).
Tomikawa
So, the family-like atmosphere and professional relationship even extend to people who were at Toyota in the past.
Morizo
That’s right. And something all of them share is that they hate losing, just like Latvala. They really have a strong desire to win.
Latvala
That’s the spirit. If you want to be a champion, you have to hate to lose.
And that is how you improve; that’s the kaizen way of doing things.
Tomikawa
So, that’s why you can’t lose to Morizo.
Latvala
Well, I have to win (laughs).
Tomikawa
Latvala, from your perspective, how do you feel when drivers who have left Toyota and moved to other teams come to greet Morizo and be friendly with him?
Latvala
Everybody really likes Akio. And the drivers that have been on our team have felt this family spirit feeling that we have. Still, we work as professionals.
Thanks to Akio, we have this rally program going and are very thankful for this.
And these former Team Toyota drivers have enjoyed being on our team.
But, as a professional, you get other opportunities in life, and there are other chances, so even if they enjoyed being on the team, I think they have an interest in what it would be like if they were on the competitor’s side.
So, people get offers and may leave, but we continue to maintain very good connections.