Toyota Gazoo Racing aim for rally glory on home roads

Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team are targeting a successful finish to the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship season on home roads at Rally Japan this week (21-24 November).

With wins in seven of the 12 rallies held so far in a closely fought season, TGR-WRT enter the final round with the chance to claim a fourth consecutive manufacturers’ championship title. Aiming to overhaul a difference of 15 points, the team can target another maximum score across the event – similar to the one it achieved previously in Chile – knowing that such a result would be enough to take the crown.

They will try to repeat the 1-2-3 finish it achieved at last year’s Rally Japan, which was the second edition to be held on narrow and twisting asphalt roads in the forest-covered mountains of the Aichi and Gifu prefectures. In demanding conditions, Elfyn Evans claimed the victory ahead of team-mate Sébastien Ogier. Both return this year, together with local hero Takamoto Katsuta, who won nine stages in 2023 and heads home off the back of a strong showing at last month’s Central European Rally.

The Toyota Stadium near Nagoya once more hosts the service park as well as three super special stages during the weekend, including Thursday evening’s opening test. Friday is the longest day of the rally with 78 competitive miles and begins with the longest stage of the rally, the Isegami’s Tunnel 14.7 miles. It begins a loop of three stages to be run twice, separated by a tyre-fitting zone at Inabu, with two passes of a super special in Okazaki rounding out the day.

Saturday runs to a similar format with a trio of stages to the north-east, including the new Mount Kasagi test, run twice either side of a tyre-fitting zone at Nakatsugawa Park. The Toyota Stadium super special completes the day after evening service. The final day’s action on Sunday takes place mostly to the south-east, with Nukata and Lake Mikawako both driven twice, plus a third visit to Toyota Stadium between final service and the rally-ending Power Stage at Lake Mikawako.

After making a strong impression across three events with TGR-WRT in Rally1 machinery, Sami Pajari returns to the WRC2 category to complete his campaign aboard a GR Yaris Rally2 car. The Printsport-run driver can claim the title if he can finish in the top two places in the class.

There are eight GR Yaris Rally2 entries in WRC2, including Jan Solans of Teo Martín Motorsport – who won the category in Portugal this year – and the TGR WRC Challenge Program duo of Yuki Yamamoto and Hikaru Kogure in their first appearance on their home round. Chris Ingram, recently crowned British champion together with the MEM team, is also entered along with three regular competitors in the Japanese championship: Heikki Kovalainen (Rally Team Aicello), Norihiko Katsuta (LUCK with ROOKIE Racing) and Fumio Nutahara (Nutahara Rally Team).

Team quotes
Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal): “As one of our home events, Rally Japan is very important for our team and I think it’s going to be an exciting rally for everyone to follow. All the main championships are still to be decided, including in WRC2. We still have a chance in the manufacturers’ championship, and we are very motivated and determined to try and win it in Japan. It may take almost a perfect weekend from our side, but we achieved that in Chile which gives us confidence that it’s possible, as does our amazing 1-2-3 finish in Japan last year. It’s a demanding rally for the drivers and at this time of year the weather can be unpredictable, but this also gives us opportunities. Elfyn won there last year and relishes those kinds of conditions, while Seb will want to finish the season on a high and Taka is feeling confident for his home event after his strong finish in Central Europe. Lastly, it has been great to see the performance of the GR Yaris Rally2 car this year, together with that of Sami Pajari, and if he can win the WRC2 title in Japan it would be a fantastic story.”

Elfyn Evans (driver car 33): “We always receive a very warm welcome driving for Toyota in Japan. Of course, with that comes a lot of expectation to do well but it’s also something we can thrive off. We still have something to fight for in the manufacturers’ championship and even if it is a difficult task ahead of us, we want to give it our all and give ourselves the best chance. To repeat our result from last year will be the aim: it was a difficult event with a lot of rain and leaves on the road, and conditions could be similar again. Even if it’s dry, the roads are more technical and twisty than Corsica, which was famous for the number of corners, so it’s a demanding and busy event both with the pace notes and with the steering wheel.”

Sébastien Ogier (driver car 17): “It’s always exciting to go to Rally Japan, especially so this year given we are still in a fight to try and secure the manufacturers’ title. We know that we are not in the ideal position and we need a close-to-perfect weekend for the team, but it’s definitely not out of reach. Our performance recently has been good and on my side, we want to turn around our fortunes and transform that speed into a good result. The stages in the forests in Japan can be very difficult and conditions are always a big question mark, especially as the event takes place one week later this year. Of course, as Toyota drivers we always feel such strong support which is very nice and we will try to bring home the result that all the fans are hoping for.”

Takamoto Katsuta (driver car 18): “I am really looking forward to Rally Japan. Of course, I always feel a different kind of pressure at my home rally, but it’s a nice kind of pressure. I am excited to drive in front of my family, my friends and all the fans. Last year, I felt good in the car and the weekend went well except for one mistake. This year, I want to try and make a good result happen. I think the most important thing will be to assess the situation and the conditions and try to use my performance when I feel confident, a bit like I did on the Central European Rally. It will be challenging but I don’t really mind whether it’s wet or it’s dry: I will do my best and hope I can perform well.”

ENDS