Toyota five-car WRC expansion a possibility

Since the start of the current Rally1 hybrid season, there have been suggestions that the factory Toyota team might boost its entries. However, after the Toyota team debuted its innovative portable Service Park structure at Rally Croatia last weekend, a suspicion that the team may run five GR Yaris Rally1 vehicles in WRC races grew.

Toyota had been working out of a temporary building that could only contain three vehicles since the start of the season, with Takamoto Katsuta’s fourth entry running out of an adjacent tent. In Croatia, the crew constructed a bigger structure with five bays, with Katsuta’s entry occupying the fourth bay. Latvala stated that the team is considering adding an extra vehicle to events, but no decision has been taken.

Toyota is fielding four vehicles for Elfyn Evans, Kalle Rovanpera, and Katsuta at all 13 WRC races this season, as well as an entry shared by eight-time world champion Ogier and Esapekka Lappi. Along with his World Endurance Championship obligations, Ogier is only running a restricted schedule, maybe as few as five rallies, but Lappi is projected to finish the remainder of the season.

If Toyota approves a five-car increase, the team may be able to field Lappi and Ogier at races.

M-Sport, Toyota’s main opponent, will be the first team to race five Rally1 hybrid cars at Rally Portugal next month, with regulars Craig Breen, Gus Greensmith, Adrien Fourmaux, Pierre-Louis Loubet, and the returning nine-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb among the drivers.