Toyota to return to WRC in 2017

After months of speculation, Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda finally declared that the company will return to the World Rally Championship scene with the Yaris. The announcement was made at a press conference in Tokyo at which the yaris WRC was unveiled to the public in a launch livery. 

The World Rally Championship programme will be handles by Toyota Motorsport (TMG) in Cologne, Germany which has already completed the preliminary testing of the Yaris on asphalt and gravel. French rally driver, Eric Camilli who drove a Ford Fiesta R5 in WRC2 at Rally Monte Carlo has been selected as the first member to Toyota’s junior driver development scheme. 

“Last time we competed was in 1999. That makes me think we are not announcing a return, but perhaps a start. We must begin again from scratch and carefully prepare both team and cars,” said Toyoda. 

Toyota had a good run in the World Rally Championship right from the 1970s till the time they withdrew in 1999 having secured four drivers’ championship wins and three constructors’ championships. This was the time when they decided to pull out the WRC campaign and focus on the burgeoning Formula 1 project.

The current Toyota Yaris that is being tested has been constructed as per the current regulation, but changes to it are expected when the updated technical regulations are introduced to WRC in 2017.