Toyota unveil two-team WRC line-up as Tänak and Rovanperä return

Toyota will field two separate teams, Toyota Racing and Gazoo Racing Toyota, with the former competing in the new GR Celica Rally1 while the latter will campaign the 2027 GR Yaris Rally1.

The six-driver lineup will be led by reigning world champion Elfyn Evans, who will continue alongside co-driver Scott Martin as they embark on their eighth consecutive season with Toyota.

Evans, who secured his maiden world title in 2026 after several near misses, said he was delighted to continue his journey with the Japanese manufacturer.

“I’m very happy to head into our eighth season with TOYOTA as we enter this new era. I think we share a similar mentality of always wanting to push for better and achieve more, so our goals are very much aligned,” said Evans.

He will be joined at Toyota Racing by Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari, who finished second and third respectively in the 2026 drivers' standings.

Solberg enjoyed an impressive first full season with the team, securing three victories, while Pajari also registered three wins and nine podium finishes.

Solberg described his continuation with Toyota as a dream come true, saying he was excited to be involved in developing a completely new car.

“It's a dream for me to be a TOYOTA driver and it's super exciting to enter this new era together and be involved in developing a brand-new car,” said the Swedish driver.

Pajari, meanwhile, believes the experience gained during the 2026 campaign will put him in a strong position to challenge again.

“Hopefully we can build on what we've already achieved, keep pushing and enjoy more great moments,” he said.

The biggest talking point, however, is the return of Tänak, the 2019 world champion, who will reunite with co-driver Martin Järveoja and Gazoo Racing Toyota seven years after their championship-winning partnership.

The Estonian, who won 10 WRC rallies during his previous two-season spell with Toyota, has been involved in developing the manufacturer's new car following his departure from Hyundai at the end of 2025.

Tänak said he was delighted to return to the team where he enjoyed some of the biggest moments of his career.

“I'm honoured to be back with GAZOO Racing TOYOTA and the team with which Martin and I became world champions. We have very good memories from our previous time here,” he said.

“I'm excited to continue that work and have the opportunity to compete with the new car next season. It's going to be a new start for everybody and there are still a lot of unknowns.”

Tänak will be joined by Takamoto Katsuta, who enjoyed a breakthrough 2026 season by claiming his maiden WRC victories in Kenya and Croatia. The Japanese driver also became the first of his countrymen to lead the championship standings.

Katsuta said the return of Tänak and Rovanperä would strengthen the team's ambitions as he targets a maiden world title.

“I still have a bigger target – to fight for a world championship title – so I need to keep working, pushing and improving myself,” he said.

“It will also be very special for me to have Ott and Kalle back alongside me. They are both very good friends who have helped me a lot over the years, and I'm really excited to work and push together with them as team-mates.”

Two-time world champion Rovanperä will complete the Gazoo Racing lineup alongside co-driver Jonne Halttunen, returning to selected rallies after a year away from full-time WRC competition.

The Finn, who won back-to-back world titles in 2022 and 2023, said he had missed the competitive side of rallying and was eager to get back behind the wheel.

“Rallying has been a huge part of my life and I naturally started to miss the driving after a while,” said Rovanperä.

“It's an interesting time to come back, and while the new cars will be very different from what we had before, that makes it an exciting new challenge for me.”

His part-time programme will also leave room for nine-time world champion Sébastien Ogier to make selected appearances, with Toyota keen to create opportunities for emerging drivers from its GR WRC Challenge Programme.

Toyota are coming off a record-equalling sixth consecutive manufacturers' championship, with Evans eventually winning the drivers' title by five points ahead of Solberg, while Pajari finished six points further back.

The manufacturer is also preparing for a significant technical transition, with both the GR Celica Rally1 and GR Yaris Rally1 being developed under the new 2027 regulations.

Both cars will have equal power and performance, with Toyota aiming to field up to six factory cars at each rally as it seeks to maintain its dominance in the championship.