Monday | 28 Sep 2015

Latvala's ambitious target after title failure

Jari-Matti Latvala is aiming to win all three rallies that remain this season to make up for the disappointment of failing to secure this year's drivers' championship.

The Finn began the season chasing a first world title, but while his two wins and three second places proved crucial to Volkswagen's bid for a third manufacturers' crown, they were not enough to stop his team-mate Sébastien Ogier from clinching the drivers' championship in Australia.

Now second in the standings, 23 points ahead of his other team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen, Latvala is eager to end the year on a high - starting with this week's Tour de Corse Rallye de France (1 - 4 October).

"Winning the manufacturers’ title so early in the season was absolutely brilliant. That is a confirmation for the entire team. Despite this, I have to say that I would have liked to have won the drivers’ world championship this year. That was my goal, and I failed," he said.

"However, the season is far from over, and I want to win the remaining three rallies. After all, we can lay the foundation for next season with a successful run-in. Consistency and pace are the two key factors."

This week Latvala can draw upon the experience of four previous attempts at the Tour de Corse between 2004 and 2008, all but the first in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. His best result came in 2008, when he had been on course to finish on the podium before Ford team orders dropped him to fourth.

"I have a lot of positive memories of the Rally Corsica and gained valuable experience there," he explained. "There is one thing I particularly love about the Rally France on Corsica: the asphalt offers extremely good grip, but you can never cut the undulating corners, and there are hardly any straight sections. If you find a 100-metre straight on Corsica, you are on the wrong island."

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Video: Get set for Corsica