Toyota has outlined its plan for the 2027 World Rally Championship, with six drivers split between two teams and two car models. The manufacturer will homologate GR Celica and GR Yaris body shapes under the new regulations, while keeping the cars technically identical beneath their different bodies.
Defending champion Elfyn Evans, Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari will drive the GR Celica for Toyota Racing. The GR Yaris will compete under the Gazoo Racing name, with Takamoto Katsuta, returning world champions Ott Tänak and Kalle Rovanperä on its roster. Rovanperä is set to contest a partial campaign.
Toyota says the two-team, two-model structure is intended to showcase multiple products and strengthen fan engagement. Team principal Jari-Matti Latvala said the cost-capped regulations make the new cars less expensive than the previous generation, allowing the team to run more entries within its budget.
Latvala said the driver split reflected their histories with the cars: Tänak and Rovanperä had won world titles in the Yaris, while Toyota wanted Solberg and Pajari, alongside current champion Evans, in the new Celica. He said the team allocations were decided without input from the crews.
Toyota technical director Tom Fowler said the main difference between the cars would be their body shapes and aerodynamics. The development challenge, he explained, was to make the two models comparable, including in their drag figures, while meeting the same performance targets. Their physical shapes will differ, but Toyota says the underlying cars will be identical.
Sources: Autosport.