Toyota Gazoo Rally Team
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Team Principal
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Heritage
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First Modern Appearance
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Manufacturer Titles
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Drivers Titles
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Team Base
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Current Car
Jarri Matti-Latvala
Dates back to 1957
2017
7
8
Jyväskylä, Finland
GR Yaris Rally1
Heritage
Toyota’s rally story began in 1957 with an entry in the Mobilgas Round Australia Rally, but it was almost two decades later that the marque truly announced itself on the world stage. In 1975, Hannu Mikkola powered a factory-backed Corolla to victory at Finland’s iconic 1000 Lakes Rally, the first major milestone in what would become one of the World Rally Championship’s most successful legacies.
From its motorsport headquarters in Cologne, Germany, Toyota evolved into a dominant force through the late 1980s and 1990s. The Celica GT-Four era delivered consistent success, including three consecutive victories on the punishing Safari Rally. In 1990, Carlos Sainz secured Toyota’s first drivers’ crown, before the manufacturer etched its name into the history books three years later as the first Japanese marque to win the FIA World Rally Championship for manufacturers.
By the close of its factory-backed programme in 1999, Toyota had amassed three manufacturers’ titles, in 1993, 1994 and 1999, alongside four drivers’ championships shared between Sainz, Juha Kankkunen and Didier Auriol.
The Modern Era
Momentum continued to build. Ott Tänak joined the line-up in 2018 and helped Toyota secure the manufacturers’ championship before going on to claim his maiden drivers’ title in 2019. A major leadership change followed at the end of 2020, when Jari-Matti Latvala succeeded Mäkinen as team principal. Under his guidance, Toyota immediately added another manufacturers’ title while Sébastien Ogier secured the eighth world championship of his career.
The arrival of the GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID for the championship’s new hybrid era marked the beginning of another dominant chapter. In 2022, Kalle Rovanperä delivered Toyota both drivers’ and manufacturers’ honours while becoming the youngest world champion in WRC history. The team successfully defended both crowns in 2023, with Rovanperä again leading the charge and Elfyn Evans finishing runner-up in the standings.
Toyota’s 2024 campaign proved one of its toughest in recent years. With Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta serving as the team’s only full-time drivers, the season developed into an intense title fight with Hyundai. A series of costly setbacks left Toyota trailing heading into the final round at FORUM8 Rally Japan, but victory for Evans, combined with a decisive team performance, secured the manufacturers’ championship in dramatic fashion on the final Wolf Power Stage of the season.
The Japanese manufacturer carried that momentum into 2025 with a commanding campaign that produced victories in 12 of the championship’s 14 rounds. A full-time return for Kalle Rovanperä and the promotion of Sami Pajari strengthened an already formidable line-up, while the battle for the drivers’ title remained within the team throughout the year. At the deciding round in Saudi Arabia, Sébastien Ogier emerged on top to secure a record-equalling ninth world championship, matching Sébastien Loeb’s long-standing tally.
For 2026, Toyota enters the final season of the current Rally1 regulations with an expanded five-car programme. While Rovanperä departs for a new chapter in circuit racing, reigning WRC2 champion Oliver Solberg steps up into a full-time Rally1 seat alongside Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari, with Ogier contesting a partial campaign across 10 rounds.
