Monte-Carlo a ‘good weekend’ for Toyota who took home a haul of points
30th January 2024The World Rally Championship’s season opener, Rallye Monte-Carlo, was ‘a good weekend’ according to Toyota’s Team Principal Jari-Matti Latvala, despite losing out on victory to Thierry Neuville and Hyundai.
In the curtain raiser to the 2024 WRC championship season, Toyota failed to secure the win against Hyundai and Thierry Neuville as the all-Belgian car went on to claim their second victory at the event.
Although they lost out on the victory, Toyota still left Monaco with a double podium finish, headed by Sebastien Ogier and his co-driver Vincent Landais in second whilst Eflyn Evans and Scott Martin finished third.
Toyota’s Team Principal Jari-Matti Latvala still deemed the weekend as a good one. Latvala said:
“Overall it has been a good weekend for us to start the season. Of course, we were in the lead of the rally earlier in the weekend and things were looking really good. Things then changed a bit and we hoped that we could bounce back today on the final day and take the victory.
“I think Seb did what he could but it seems that Neuville had one of those days where as a driver you can push yourself to an extra level.”
In the 2024 season opener, Toyota gained the early lead of the Rallye Monte-Carlo with Elfyn Evans. The Welshman completed the opening day with two stage wins, the only two tests on Thursday, and managed to keep Ogier at bay on Friday.
After Saturday, the lead was snatched away from the Welshman leaving, nine-time Monte winner, Sebastien Ogier to pick up the fight with Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville.
In the close fight between Ogier and Neuville, the latter won out as he secured the win after completing a clean sweep of Sunday’s speed tests.
The reigning champions lead the world championship on 46 points whilst, Hyundai trail just behind on 45 points following a perfect weekend for Neuville who took home the maximum 30 points.
As the team drove away with a large haul of points to keep them as the championship leaders, Latvala commented:
“But it was a great fight [Neuville vs Ogier] that was exciting for everybody to follow, and in the end we got strong points as a team for the manufacturers’ championship.
“Elfyn also showed some great pace and confidence this weekend and I think he was clever too in the end to make sure he took away some good points.”
Rally Sweden is the next event in the 2024 WRC season from February 15 to February 18, 2024.
That’s all for the article; Monte-Carlo a ‘good weekend’ for Toyota who took home a haul of points!
Read more WRC here:
- Rallye Monte-Carlo: Neuville takes victory in season opener
- Rallye Monte-Carlo: Neuville takes rally lead but Ogier remains close
- Rallye Monte-Carlo: Evans retains lead but Ogier is on the hunt
- Rallye Monte Carlo: Evans clears opening day of WRC season
- WRC: Where are they racing and when?
- Abiteboul takes up dual role as Hyundai Team Principal and President
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
