Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) has announced that the GR Yaris Rally2 has received homologation from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), effective January 1, 2024. The GR Yaris Rally2, designed for customer rallying, is now set for official competition, starting with the upcoming Rallye Monte-Carlo.
Up to now, TGR has been involved in motorsport through its participation in the FIA WRC with the GR Yaris Rally1 hybrid, the FIA World Endurance Championship [WEC] with the GR010 hybrid, and the FIA World Rally Raid Championship [W2RC] with the DKR Hilux EVO T1U, achieving multiple championship titles. TGR has also developed the GR Supra GT4 to promote the continuous improvement of cars through customer motorsports.
Chairman Akio Toyoda, also known as ‘Morizo,’ envisions the new GR Yaris Rally2 as a significant step in connecting motorsport vehicles with production vehicles through rally competition, potentially enhancing the rally market worldwide.
With the homologation certificate granted, global distribution of the GR Yaris Rally2 can commence. The first commemorative car is scheduled to be delivered to ROOKIE Racing, led by Morizo. Additionally, four teams are prepared to compete with the new model in the WRC2 class at Rallye Monte-Carlo, taking place on January 25-28.
The GR Yaris, the first all-wheel-drive sports car to be exclusively developed by Toyota in 20 years, was created by TGR with the aim of winning in the WRC. The GR Yaris Rally2 is designed for customers to achieve victory and signifies the beginning of a new challenge for TGR.
The car made its public debut at Rally Japan in 2022, driven by Morizo. Since then, it has undergone extensive testing by various drivers on different surfaces and in different conditions, covering over 15,000 competition kilometers, including participation in the Japanese Rally Championship. Feedback from experienced and emerging professional drivers has been incorporated into the development process, and further insights will be gathered from customer motorsport competitors in series such as WRC2 to continue refining the car.
