Kalle Rovanpera and Ott Tanak will return to the World Rally Championship next season as part of a six-car Toyota line-up that features two separate teams and different Rally1 car models, as reported by Autosport.com. Toyota has split its 2027 campaign into two squads competing with all-new GR Celica and GR Yaris machinery built under new technical regulations.
Two-Team Structure and Driver Line-ups
The setup includes at least three world champions, with two-time title holder Rovanpera and 2019 champion Tanak returning to top-tier rallying following a year away. Reigning champion Elfyn Evans will drive under the Toyota Racing team banner alongside last year’s title contenders Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari, who finished second and third respectively in the 2026 standings. This trio will pilot the GR Celica Rally1 car, marking a return for the model that previously competed successfully in the 1980s and 1990s.
Evans expressed enthusiasm about entering his eighth season with Toyota during a new era, noting that the team shares a mentality of continuous improvement. He stated that attention is turning to the new car, which will differ significantly from past machinery, presenting a challenge he looks forward to tackling.
The manufacturer will enter its GR Yaris Rally1 car under the Gazoo Racing Toyota moniker. The vehicle will be driven by Tanak and co-driver Martin Jarveoja, who served as test drivers developing Toyota’s new cars after departing Hyundai at the end of 2025. Tanak will contest a full season alongside two-time WRC rally winner Takamoto Katsuta.
Tanak expressed appreciation for returning to the squad where he claimed the 2019 title, noting that working in a development role this year has been enjoyable. He added that despite enjoying time away from competition, his desire to drive remained strong and he looks forward to returning to the stages.
Rovanpera and co-driver Jonne Halttunen will take the third GR Yaris seat for a partial campaign. The 20-something driver previously left the WRC at the end of 2025 to pursue single-seater racing before illness paused those plans. Now cleared to compete again, the youngest ever world champion decided to return to rallying.
Rovanpera described the team as family, explaining that after testing the development car once his health allowed, plans for next season naturally came together. His partial schedule opens opportunities for other drivers to join the line-up during the season, potentially including selective appearances for nine-time world champion Sebastien Ogier or other young drivers within the Toyota program. Ogier has indicated a scaled-back partial schedule for 2027, noting he will miss the Monte Carlo opener for the first time since 2011.
WRC2 Entries and Future Developments
Toyota confirmed that WRC Challenge Programme drivers Yuki Yamamoto, Jaspar Vaher, and Takumi Matsushita will compete in WRC2. The driver announcement at Toyota’s headquarters in Jyvaskyla, Finland, followed a groundbreaking ceremony on November 2 for a new technical centre under construction in nearby Majajarvi.
Meanwhile, the team is wrapping up six days of rally simulation testing with its 2027 prototype in the forests of central Finland. With homologation scheduled to finish before the end of the year, further information regarding the two cars and their liveries will be revealed ahead of the 2027 season.
