The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team will celebrate their clean-sweep of the 2022 World Rally Championship titles when they compete on Rally Japan this week. The “homecoming” event will also see the team present two rally concept cars, a new version of the GR Yaris built to Rally2 competition specifications and the GR Yaris H2 powered by a hydrogen combustion engine. The WRC’s first visit … [Read more...]
WRC championship reaches knife-edge
The battle for the manufacturers’ crown in the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship reaches a potentially decisive point in Spain this weekend as just two teams remain in contention for the crown ahead of RallyRACC – Rally de España 20 – 23 October. Toyota Gazoo Racing can seal its second title in as many years at this penultimate round. The only squad able to prevent that from happening is Hyundai … [Read more...]
Historic Hyundai victory in WRC Greece
Thierry Neuville secured victory at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece on Sunday afternoon - fronting a historic Hyundai i20 N 1-2-3 finish. The Belgian driver seized the top spot early on Saturday after nine-time world champion Sébastien Loeb retired with alternator failure. From that moment onwards he never looked back. Neuville’s Hyundai squad emerged from the penultimate day unscathed while … [Read more...]
Evans WRC odyssey in Greece this week
The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team aim to return to the top step of the podium on the Acropolis Rally in Greece this week, round 10 of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship. The Acropolis returned to the WRC calendar in 2021 and has a reputation for rocky mountain roads and high temperatures which combine to create a tough challenge for the cars, tyres and drivers. Kalle Rovanperä, who won … [Read more...]
Tänak chased by Evans to slender Ypres WRC victory
Ott Tänak stormed to Ypres Rally Belgium victory on Sunday afternoon to seal back-to-back FIA World Rally Championship wins. The Estonian driver inherited the top spot late on the penultimate day when Hyundai i20 N team-mate and long-time leader Thierry Neuville understeered off the road and into a ditch, shattering the Belgian’s hopes of a repeat home win. Tänak - winner of Secto Rally … [Read more...]
Rovanperä wants it all this weekend
With a factory drive and a huge FIA World Rally Championship lead, Kalle Rovanperä is the man who seemingly has it all, but there is something missing which he hopes to correct this weekend, a victory on home soil. It’s no surprise that Rovanperä is the hottest property in the sport right now. He’s achieved more during three years in rallying’s top-flight than many drivers do in their entire … [Read more...]
Rovanperä bids to consolidate WRC lead
FIA World Rally Championship leader Kalle Rovanperä will rekindle some very special memories as he returns to Rally Estonia this week 14 - 17 July. Rovanperä leads the championship by 65 points having won four of the last five rallies as the season approaches its second half on Estonia’s blisteringly quick gravel roads around Estonia's second city, Tartu. Estonia feels like a second home to … [Read more...]
Out of Africa and into the history books
Toyota Gazoo Racing claimed a historic result at the legendary Safari Rally Kenya with Kalle Rovanperä leading a clean sweep of the top four positions for the GR Yaris Rally1 car. Welshman Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta joined him on the podium, with Sébastien Ogier finishing fourth. It is a landmark 10th victory for Toyota on the famous African event, and the first time it has achieved a … [Read more...]
Hirst closes his locker
Matthew Hirst has made it three wins from three starts in this year’s Motorsport UK Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Rally Championship after scoring victory on the Plains Rally on Saturday. Co-driven by the soon to be married Declan Dear, Hirst clinched another impressive victory in his Pirelli-shod Delta Salvage Ford Fiesta R5+, this time winning by 1 minute and 25 seconds. With Hirst’s nearest … [Read more...]
WRC Croatia washout win for Rovanperä
Kalle Rovanperä snatched an extraordinary Croatia Rally victory on Sunday afternoon as a downpour turned the event on its head in the final kilometres of the last stage. The Finn led from the start of the three-day rally in the hills around Zagreb in his Toyota GR Yaris, only for a storm in the penultimate speed test to wipe out his hard-earned advantage. A resurgent Ott Tänak, whose gamble on … [Read more...]