Mikko Hirvonen (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC Challenge Program chief instructor):
“This was a great rally for all three guys to finish their first season with the Program. OK, Rio unfortunately made a small mistake and damaged the front of the car, but he was leading the class at that point, continuing the pace that he showed in Lahti. We were happy to see that, and little mistakes happen now and again. Conditions were also quite tricky, as it was very cold and humid so the grip levels were changing a lot, and even more experienced drivers were finding it difficult to judge. Kanta’s performance just got stronger and stronger through the rally to take the victory, after setting really impressive times on the two longest stages on the final afternoon. He has found something with his pacenotes that he can really start to rely on them and set good times consistently. It’s an encouraging step and hopefully he can keep it up in the future. It’s also fantastic that Tomiya could win the championship together with Jarkko. Of course, Jarkko is an experienced, fast driver, but for Tomiya there have been so many new things to learn. He has been managing everything really well and to be the first Japanese rally champion of Finland in his first season, it’s quite incredible.”

Rio Ogata
“I am of course a bit disappointed about the result, but at least I was able to learn something from this rally about how different conditions need different driving. It was my first rally in autumn conditions in Finland, and the feeling was completely different, so I could learn many things. I was just driving at my own pace and trying to judge the grip of the road – it did not feel that I was driving was especially fast. In SS6, I could feel some grip, better than on the previous stage, so I was able to drive with some confidence. Then we entered a forest section where it was more damp, and coming into to a slippery mid-speed corner I carried too much speed on entry and went wide into the ditch. I was at least able to show speed here and in Lazio and Lahti, so I am satisfied with how things have progressed this year. I just need to get more experience and hopefully I can take more good results in the future.”

Kanta Yanaguida
“I’m very happy about this result. This rally was very challenging because the temperature was very cold and the grip was so low. On the first stage I couldn’t adjust my driving and I had a spin. On SS3 I started to understand how to drive better in these kind of conditions. Still, it was my first time driving a rally stage in the dark, so that was another new experience. On the second day, I drove with a good rhythm and was able to change my pace to match the grip. I made some mistakes so it was not perfect, but I’m very happy that we were able to win this last rally of the year. I’m pleased with my progress this year: I’ve learned a lot and gained really valuable experience, so I’m very grateful to the team for their support I will keep pushing for the future.”

Tomiya Maekawa
“This rally was a surprising one. On the first day we had an issue on the car and couldn’t push hard, so we were expecting it could be tough to get a good result. Thanks to the team, the car was working well on the second day and we could manage some good speed. At the same time, our rivals in the championship had retired, so we switched our focus to securing the position we needed to win the title, and we were able to make it. I really didn’t expect this result would be possible in my first year competing in Finland. It’s so amazing. I want to share my appreciation for Jarkko, for the team and our supporters for making it possible. This season I got a lot of varied experience and I will continue to improve myself and become a better co-driver in the future.”