P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Toyota selects new WRC junior recruits
Toyota has selected two young Japanese rally talents, Shotaro Goto and Takumi Matsushita, to join their initiative aimed at promoting a young Japanese driver to their WRC team. This program, called the WRC Challenge Programme, has been successful in the past, with one of its participants, Katsuta, now a regular podium finisher. Goto and Matsushita are the third wave of candidates to participate in the program, following Kogure, Otake, and Yamamoto. Over 70 applicants were given the opportunity to showcase their skills behind the wheel, and Goto and Matsushita emerged as the top choices. Under the guidance of Toyota’s chief instructor, Mikko Hirvonen, they will undergo an intensive training program focusing on driving, pacenotes, and fitness. The goal is for them to start competing in national rallies in Finland and Europe from the summer onwards.
