Toyota to field two works WRC teams with different cars

Toyota Gazoo Racing has announced plans to field two distinct teams with two different cars for the start of the FIA World Rally Championship’s new era in 2027.

The two squads will compete as Toyota Racing, which will debut the GR Celica Rally1 car, and Gazoo Racing Toyota, campaigning the new 2027 GR Yaris Rally1 car.

The combined driver line-up across the two teams will feature at least three world champions, with the 2026 title winner Elfyn Evans joined by Ott Tanak and Kalle Rovanpera. Completing an impressive mix of rally-winning experience and proven potential are the WRC’s three newest rally winners: Oliver Solberg, Sami Pajari and Takamoto Katsuta.

In 2026, TGR-WRT secured a record-equaling sixth consecutive manufacturers’ championship, with all five of its official crews claiming multiple rally wins and contending for the drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles. Three drivers continued the fight all the way to a thrilling final stage of the season, where Evans ultimately prevailed by just five points ahead of Solberg and six ahead of Pajari.

Under new Rally1 technical regulations for 2027, the ethos of providing all drivers with a car they can win with remains central, with preparations underway to field up to six factory cars on each rally. These will be entered across two teams that will compete as equal challengers for victory, further enhancing competition and creating new stories for fans to follow and enjoy.

TGR-WRT will continue to operate both teams under the same roof at its headquarters in Jyväskylä in Finland. Supporting the competition between them and the development of the two cars will strengthen its efforts to make ever-better cars, drawing on feedback from strong driver line-ups assembled to give both teams the opportunity to compete for victory.

The Toyota Racing drivers will be entrusted with the new GR Celica Rally1 car, returning one of the most iconic names in Toyota rally history to the WRC.

Its line-up will be led into the 2027 season by the defending drivers’ and co-drivers’ champions, Evans and Scott Martin. Entering their eighth successive full season with the team, the Welsh-English duo have started more rallies for Toyota than anyone else in the company’s long WRC history and secured their hard-earned first world titles this year having finished runners-up on five previous occasions.

“This was another strong season for us and for the team, and it was obviously very special to finally get the world championship over the line after coming close a few times before,” said Evans. “I’m grateful to everyone who has continued to support and believe in us, and especially the team. I’m very happy to head into our eighth season with TOYOTA as we enter this new era. I think we share a similar mentality of always wanting to push for better and achieve more, so our goals are very much aligned. Attention is already turning to next year and what’s to come with the new car. It will be very different from what we’ve been used to, so there’s some work ahead for everyone to adapt and get the most out of it. I’m looking forward to that challenge and hope we can keep on achieving good things together.”

Alongside them will be Solberg and Elliott Edmondson. The Swede and his British navigator finished as runners-up in their first full season with TGR-WRT this year – scoring three victories and more stage wins than anyone else – after winning the WRC2 title with the GR Yaris Rally2 car in 2025.

“I’ve had an amazing first full year with the team. It was quite a rollercoaster season, with some incredible highs and also some tough moments, but we learned a lot and to fight for the championship right until the end was something special,” said Solberg. “Now I just want to take the positives and everything I’ve learned and look forward. It’s a dream for me to be a Toyota driver and it’s super exciting to enter this new era together and be involved in developing a brand-new car.

“Next season will be a completely new challenge for everybody so there will be a lot to learn and adapt to again, and hopefully we can have some great competition for everyone to enjoy. I will keep giving my best, enjoy the driving and the battles, and try to achieve more good results.”

Completing the Toyota Racing trio will be another up-and-coming force in the WRC, Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen. The Finns finished third in the standings and took three wins in what was their second full season competing at the highest level, demonstrating exceptional consistency with nine podiums from 13 events.

The Gazoo Racing Toyota drivers will take the wheel of the 2027 GR Yaris Rally1 car, aiming to build on the remarkable success already achieved by the GR Yaris under the outgoing ruleset.

Its line-up includes Tanak and co-driver Martin Jarveoja, who renew their successful WRC partnership with Gazoo Racing seven years after winning the 2019 world championship aboard the Toyota Yaris WRC. In their previous spell with the team, the Estonian duo won 10 rounds of the WRC across two seasons.

“I’m honored to be back with Gazoo Racing Toyota and the team with which Martin and I became world champions. We have very good memories from our previous time here, and I have a lot of respect for the people and what they have achieved, so it has been nice to start working together again this year in a development role,” Tanak said. “I have enjoyed having some time away from competition, but the desire to drive has still been strong, and it’s been an interesting challenge to get involved in this new project.

“With such big technical changes, there has been a lot for us to discover and learn during this process. I’m excited to continue that work and have the opportunity to compete with the new car next season. It’s going to be a new start for everybody and there are still a lot of unknowns, but I’m looking forward to getting back on the stages and pushing together with the team to achieve some good results.”

Joining them at Gazoo Racing Toyota are Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston, following a breakthrough 2026 campaign in which they achieved their maiden WRC victories in Kenya and Croatia and Katsuta became the first Japanese driver to ever lead the championship standings.

Also making a highly anticipated return to WRC competition with Gazoo Racing Toyota following a year away will be Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen. Rovanpera became the youngest ever World Rally champion as the Finnish pairing won back-to-back titles with TGR-WRT in 2022-23, and they will contest a partial season of selected events.

This will provide the team with the possibility to welcome other drivers into its line-up during the season. This could include selected appearances for experienced drivers such as nine-time world champion Sébastien Ogier, who remains part of the Gazoo Racing family. The team will also continue to explore opportunities for young drivers, like those in the GR WRC Challenge Program, who show potential to compete at the top level.

The TGR-WRT name will be retained by the Jyväskylä-based high-performance development company as it moves into an exciting new era. The presentation of the driver line-up at the Jyskä HQ followed an official groundbreaking ceremony the previous day (November 2) at the site of its new technical center now under construction at nearby Majajärvi.

Meanwhile, in the surrounding forests of central Finland, the team this week concluded six days of rally simulation testing with its 2027 prototype. The GR Celica Rally1 and GR Yaris Rally1 cars will run to the same new WRC Car regulations – aimed at increasing competition by making the top Rally1 category more accessible – with equal power and performance. The homologation process for the two cars is due for completion before the end of this year.