The way the World Rally Championship has gone this season has confirmed to Latvala that Toyota has to modify its 2025 strategy of attack.
Team principal Jari-Matti Latvala says Toyota needs at least three full-time drivers challenging the 2025 World Rally Championship.
Following a 1-2-3 for rivals Hyundai, Latvala acknowledged that the team's drivers' and manufacturers' titles were "pretty much gone," following a challenging weekend at the Acropolis Rally.
When considering the way the title race has progressed for Autosport last Sunday in Greece, the Toyota manager remarked that two part-time drivers in Kalle Rovanpera and Sebastien Ogier and two full-time drivers in Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta have not been sufficient to challenge for the titles.
Following the choice of two-time world champion Rovanpera to go part-time this year to "recharge his batteries," Toyota changed its lineup for this season ahead of a full-time comeback next year.
Latvala responded, "What I have learned this year is that for 2025 we need three drivers who will do the full championship," when asked for his opinions on the team's 2025 line-up prior Wednesday's stunning decision to replace Katsuta at Rally Chile with emerging sensation Sami Pajari.
"This is obvious now that you need more than two drivers completing the entire [championship] to win the title from part-time drivers.
"Three drivers need to be doing a full season; we can have a fourth driver who can participate in part of the championship."
"There's things we need to now consider and we need to think about," he said when asked whether he felt there was a lot of work ahead to finalize the team's 2025 line-up.
"I cannot yet discuss the line-up."
Rovanpera is contracted and likely to go back to a full-time drive with the team next year, therefore benefiting the Japanese brand that has won the last three drivers's and constructors's championships.
Latvala remarked, "Kalle has already mentioned himself that he is doing a full season and this is what we have been aiming at."
"We just need to examine a few things; it is obvious that if Kalle drives, the season is full. But that is the way we wish things to be.
With so many choices at hand, next season presents an intriguing challenge for Toyota about its driver lineup.
Though this year Ogier has once more proved to be invaluable for the squad by winning three rallies and recording three second-place finishes from seven starts, eight-time world champion Ogier's future is yet unknown. You may also read this: Best Rally Cars In Lancia
Though deemed unlikely to commit to return to full-time activity, the Frenchman has vowed to seeing out the balance of the season in an attempt to keep the heat on Hyundai points leader Thierry Neuville.
Evans, running in his sixth season with Toyota, two-time WRC title runner-up has had a difficult season trying to lead the team's drivers' title assault. The Welshman has routinely battled for podiums and copped his fair share of mishaps with presumably the most costly event a driveshaft failure in Finland when seated second to then-leader Rovanpera.
Although Katsuta will be benched for Chile, the team made it clear in its announcement that it will continue to give "its full support" to the Japanese and believes this little pause in a hectic and demanding season will provide an opportunity to reset and come back stronger".
Before moving up to the third car last year, Katsuta piloting a full-time fourth entry from 2021 to 2022.
After his outstanding drive to fourth on Rally1 debut in Finland, which has since resulted in two more visits in Chile and Central Europe, WRC2 title candidate Pajari presents still another choice. Latvala informed Autosport following Finland that young Finn was among the team's possibilities for 2025.
When asked about the driving market for next year, Latvala said, "Of course, Toyota is thinking about investing for the future, like we did Sami in Finland.
"Toyota wants to be investing such things for the future. Naturally, though, we must have drivers at the same time we may claim the championship.
