Toyota to test Yaris WRC on asphalt

Toyota's Yaris WRC will make its first test on asphalt next month, but no firm commitment about a World Rally Championship entry is expected before the end of the year.

Since the Cologne-built Yaris began testing in March, speculation has been rife that the Japanese firm is on the verge of a world rally return. The car has since tested in France and Sardinia and moves to Italian asphalt next month but the official green light for a competition program is still awaited.

A Toyota source said: "There's nothing from Japan, no news and that's not likely to change before the end of the season."

On the subject of the asphalt test, a Toyota Motorsport spokesman said: "This is just the next step for the car. We are trying to make sure we're as well prepared as possible [for a potential 2017 WRC entry].

"This means gathering as much setup detail as possible and looking at the behaviour of the car on all surfaces, and next month it's asphalt."

Toyota's GT86 CS-R3 – the world's first rear-wheel drive R3 car – is expected to make its first public appearance at next month's Rally Germany.