Toyota WRC boss Makinen backs Latvala for 2017 title bid
Surprise World Rally Championship leader Jari-Matti Latvala is a genuine 2017 title contender, believes Toyota team principal Tommi Makinen

The Toyota programme was expected to get off to a slow start on the marque's return to the WRC after a 17-year absence, but Latvala's second place in Monte Carlo and shock Sweden win means he leads the standings after two rounds.
Asked for his thoughts on Latvala's title prospects, Makinen told Autosport: "I have a good feeling that Jari-Matti can fight this year.
"I can make him feel more confident and more comfortable in the car.
"I understand better than anybody else what this means, I have been there so long myself that I know what he is feeling.
"Very clearly in Sweden, Jari-Matti was the strongest man in the world."
Latvala had begun the season aiming for podiums and points at best, but admitted his results so far had forced a rethink.
"Before the start of Monte, I was thinking about a top six there and a top five in Sweden," he said.
"This changes things. But let's see."

OGIER LET LATVALA TAKE POINTS LEAD
Scoring maximum powerstage bonus points in Sweden was key to Latvala going four points clear of Sebastien Ogier in the championship.
But with the points leader having to run first on the dusty roads on the opening day of the next round in Mexico, Ogier said he had taken a deliberate decision to avoid being in that position.
"I had a little doubt he might pull back and let me open the road again in Mexico, so I was quite happy to see him go fast," Ogier joked about their powerstage runs.
"I wasn't really flat out. The target was: 'OK, I need to take three or four points because I was sure Jari-Matti Latvala would be in the top five.'
"He took everything and he leads the championship by four points, but I have somebody making the line in Mexico."
Rally Mexico is expected to be tougher for Toyota as though as it has tested in both hot weather and at high altitude, it had not done both in the same location in its pre-season programme.
The team headed to Almeria in Spain to prepare for Mexico this week, but its test was disrupted early on when Latvala rolled the car.

FIA's block on 2017 VW WRC car a 'punch in the face' for Mikkelsen
World Rally Championship looks to MotoGP model for revamp

Latest news
WRC Finland: The Good, The Bad and an inspired Tanak
The World Rally Championship returned to rallying’s spiritual home in Finland where rally mad fans gathered to support their new home hero Kalle Rovanpera. While Rovanpera threw everything at trying to claim a home win, it was Hyundai’s Ott Tanak that delivered a stunning surprise win. Autosport reviews the highs, lows, turning points, close calls and heartbreak from Rally Finland
Gravel Notes Podcast: Rally Finland review and Tom's Toyota co-drive
Rally Finland produced a truly incredible World Rally Championship battle as Ott Tanak spoiled the homecoming for points leader Kalle Rovanpera.
Latvala: Hyundai WRC win on Toyota home soil a reminder to keep working
Ott Tanak's Rally Finland victory served a reminder that Toyota must continue to work on improving its World Rally Championship challenger, according to team boss Jari-Matti Latvala.
How Tanak spoiled Rovanpera’s Finnish homecoming
Kalle Rovanpera and Toyota went into Rally Finland as overwhelming favourites but came away as runners-up to a resurgent Ott Tanak and Hyundai. While it may have dampened the homecoming party, it still moved the Finn closer to the ultimate World Rally Championship prize
How Tanak spoiled Rovanpera’s Finnish homecoming
Kalle Rovanpera and Toyota went into Rally Finland as overwhelming favourites but came away as runners-up to a resurgent Ott Tanak and Hyundai. While it may have dampened the homecoming party, it still moved the Finn closer to the ultimate World Rally Championship prize
Inside Hyundai’s F1-spec mobile WRC home
Hyundai is one of the World Rally Championship's big three, and has a brand-new travelling facility befitting of that status. The team invited Autosport for a behind-the-scenes look at its state-of-the-art HQ, which comes complete with all the bells and whistles you'd expect of a top Formula 1 outfit
How Rovanpera's latest Estonia masterclass left his WRC rivals stumped
After trailing Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans for much of Rally Estonia's opening day, WRC points leader Kalle Rovanpera took advantage of a change in the weather and never looked back afterwards. Winning for a fifth time this year at the scene of his 2021 breakthrough, and with a breathtaking powerstage bonus for good measure, his advantage is already looking difficult to topple
How the WRC captures its stunning visuals
Whether it’s the mountains of Monte Carlo, the snow of Sweden or the Kenya Savannah, the World Rally Championship is able to beam some of motorsport’s most spectacular footage to television screens while operating in the harshest of environments. Autosport went behind the scenes to unearth the secrets that make this logistical challenge possible
Why WRC's Safari tour is more than just a rally
OPINION: A source of national pride in Kenya, the Safari Rally is also a sporting, cultural and economic phenomenon. And as last weekend's World Rally Championship round reminded us, it's a key driver in establishing Africa’s place in world motorsport
How Rovanpera tamed a wild Safari Rally
The Safari Rally acted as a brutal test of driver and car resolve as multiple retirements opened the path for a historic Toyota 1-2-3-4 triumph, headed by star Kalle Rovanpera. But keeping things clean was only half of the challenge, as a well-timed charge when conditions worsened allowed the Finn to take control
How Tanak turned the tables to deliver Hyundai a timely WRC triumph
The 2019 champion has been a bit-part player recently, but Ott Tanak ended a 15-month drought in fine style with a dominant win in Sardinia. On a weekend when championship leader Kalle Rovanpera struggled with cleaning the road, his Hyundai rival has made his belated arrival into the title race and given cause for those predicting a walkover from the Toyota star to pause
How Rovanpera overcame rallying royalty in Portugal to extend his WRC lead
Although the Rally Portugal entry list featured World Rally Championship royalty in Sebastiens Loeb and Ogier, victory was secured by rallying's rising star in Kalle Rovanpera. Here's the story of his 2022 hat-trick, as his key rivals faltered among the gravel and asphalt ahead of them