Kris Meeke World Rally Championship with Toyota for the 2019 season

Kris Meeke agreed to return to the World Rally Championship with Toyota for the 2019 season. Toyota is preparing to announce next week that the former Citroen driver will partner with Ott Tanak and Jari-Matti Latvala, as discussed by Autosport last month. . The official news of Meeke's return to the WRC will follow the change with Esapekka Lappi from Toyota to Citroën, which is expected on October 18. Autosport sources confirmed that Meeke agreed to the terms with Toyota last week.

Toyota team principal Tommi Makinen kept quiet about the precise details of his 2019 lineup, but admitted that Meeke and Craig Breen were in the photo. "Both have potential," he said. "And, realistically, we are not thinking about not many options if we want to fight for the manufacturers' championship [2019].

"We are preparing for possible changes [in the team], we are investigating potential [alternatives] and we have good opportunities." "There is nothing to say at the moment, we are working with Japan on this issue now."

Tanak said he could see the benefit of bringing Meeke as a replacement for Lappi.

"It's not my choice, it's not my decision, but Kris is a fast driver, we all know that," Tanak told Autosport.

"Overall, I think it would be a strong lineup."

Meeke, who was dropped by Citroën in May, was in the United States last week and has remained silent about his future.

He will return to a rally this week, when he tackles the RallyLegend event in San Marino, sharing a Ford Fiesta RS WRC with Derek Ringer, who led Meeke's mentor, Colin McRae, to the 1995 title.

Although the Meeke season in Citroën ended badly, the five-time WRC rally winner with the team included becoming the first Briton to win the Rally Finland in 2016.

A source from Autosport added: "Meeke's agreement is made, we know he will come to Finland [where Makinen's Toyota team is].

"It's an exciting time for Toyota: to have three riders so fast and all of them capable of winning the rally in any event.

"We have seen Meeke's speed on any surface, he dominated in Corsica and won in Finland, which is special for the Finns, shows what he can do and makes the team warm for him."

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