TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) World Rally Team (WRT) has claimed their second consecutive one-two victory at the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship’s (WRC) first Rally Latvia. Reigning world champions Kalle Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen raced to victory in the No. 69 GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid Electric Vehicle, with Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais following closely behind to secure a well-deserved second place win in their No.17 GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid Electric Vehicle.
Akio Toyoda, TGR-WRT Chairman, commented: “Kalle, Jonne, congratulations on winning two consecutive events! Seb and Vincent finished in second, achieving a one-two finish. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team has been able to return to our home event, Rally Finland, as the championship-leading team every year since 2021. However, we couldn’t make it happen this year. I feel very sorry to our Finnish fans. I hope that many local fans will be able to see us reclaim the top position in the next rally in Finland. There’s not much time left to prepare, but I’m sure that the team will make it for that. And I also hope that the team will come to our other home event, Rally Japan, as the leading team! Along with all the Japanese fans, I, Morizo, will also be waiting for the team here in Japan!”
This rally marked Latvia’s debut in the FIA WRC, taking over the place in the schedule held in recent seasons by neighboring country Estonia. Based upon Rally Liepāja, a round of the FIA European Rally Championship, the event ran over fast gravel roads similar to those found in Estonia, while also providing its own particular challenges for the drivers, most of whom had not competed there previously.
Returning to the high-speed roads where he began his rally career as a teenager, Rovanperä and Halttunen led the rally from the night-time opening stage. They won 11 stages along the way, recorded their 200th career fastest time, and marked their 50th start at the highest level of the WRC with their 14th victory.
Ogier and Landais made an impressive return to action after being forced to miss the previous round in Poland – which made this Ogier’s first fast European gravel rally for almost three years. He was already the top debutant on Latvian soil when took third place, before ultimately stealing second from his competition and a double-podium finish for TGR-WRT.
Over the years, Toyota has been participating in many different forms of motorsports, including Formula One, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race. Toyota’s participation in these events was overseen by separate entities within the company until April 2015, when Toyota established TGR, to consolidate all of its motorsports activities under one in-house brand. Representing Toyota’s belief that ‘the roads build the people, and the people build the cars,’ TGR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota’s commitment to making ‘ever-better’ cars. Harnessing years of experience gained under the extreme conditions of various motorsports events, TGR aims to forge new technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.
The ninth round of the 2024 FIA WRC is the highly anticipated Rally Finland (August 1-4), the fastest rally on the calendar with its smooth gravel roads and many challenging jumps. It’s also a home rally for TGR-WRT, which has its headquarters close to the service park in Jyväskylä.