Toyota takes fifth consecutive WRC constructor title

Toyota successful in WRC

It is the ninth time Toyota has won the WRC manufacturer’s title, one less than Lancia’s record. The victory by Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen marked the 11th win in 12 rounds for the GR Yaris Rally1 this season.

Rovanperä holds firm in tough duel

The rally took place over varying asphalt roads in Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria. Rovanperä fought a fierce battle with teammate Sébastien Ogier in the first half of the event. On Saturday, he took over the lead before Ogier suffered bad luck due to a flat tire and a slide against a tree. Rovanperä then maintained control and won with a lead of 43.7 seconds.

Evans, meanwhile, fought an intense duel with Hyundai’s Ott Tänak. The Welshman narrowed an 8.4-second gap to 1.1 seconds on the final day, to be 6.7 seconds faster than his rival in the final test. In doing so, he took the lead in the drivers’ standings, 13 points ahead of Rovanperä and Ogier.

Strong team performance

Ogier returned after his crash and won all the tests on the final day, good for maximum points in the Super Sunday and Power Stage standings. Rovanperä finished third in those. Takamoto Katsuta finished fourth, with two fastest times on Saturday and showed good pace heading into his home rally in Japan. Finnish duo Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen finished the rally sixth.

In the Rally2 class, Oliver Solberg won again, adding to his recent WRC2 title with co-driver Elliott Edmondson.

Comments from the team

TGR-WRT president Akio Toyoda expressed appreciation for the entire team, from engineers to mechanics, citing the historic total of nine titles. He emphasized the connection to rallying past and sporting competition with brands such as Lancia, which will return in WRC2 next year.

Deputy team boss Juha Kankkunen called winning the title as team boss “a special moment” and pointed to the good atmosphere within the team. Evans stressed the importance of team performance and thanked the technicians for their work. Rovanperä spoke of “a strong cooperation” that is the basis of the success.

Outlook for Rally Japan

The penultimate round of the season will take place from November 6 to 9 in Japan, on winding asphalt roads in the mountains of Aichi and Gifu, near Toyota City. There the team can continue its string of successes, while the battle for the driver and co-driver titles enters its decisive phase.