Ott Tänak returns to the WRC with Toyota in 2027
Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja will return to the WRC in 2027 with Toyota's factory team, driving the new GR Yaris Rally1 car.
On 3 November Toyota announced it will enter the new WRC era with two separate teams and two different cars. The Estonian crew rejoins the team with which they won the 2019 world title.
Tänak sat out the 2026 season but has been developing Toyota's new rally car since the spring.
Back with the team that made them world champions
Tänak and Järveoja previously spent two seasons with Toyota, winning ten WRC rounds and taking the 2019 world title in the Toyota Yaris WRC. Seven years later, they renew their partnership with GAZOO Racing.
At the end of 2025, Tänak announced he would sit out the 2026 season and left Hyundai. He did not stay away from rallying for long. In the spring he began testing Toyota's 2027 prototype. He later drove Toyota's zero car at Rally di Roma Capitale and in September won the Overmountain Rally in the US in a GR Corolla rally car.
Two teams, two cars
From 2027, Toyota will compete in the WRC with two teams. Both will operate from the same headquarters in Jyväskylä, Finland, and will be treated as equal challengers for victory. Up to six factory cars may start each rally.
TOYOTA RACING, GR Celica Rally1
- Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin (2026 world champions)
- Oliver Solberg / Elliott Edmondson
- Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen
GAZOO Racing TOYOTA, GR Yaris Rally1
- Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja
- Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston
- Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen (partial season)
Rovanperä's partial programme leaves room for other drivers during the season. According to Toyota, these could include nine-time world champion Sébastien Ogier.
The Celica returns to rallying
The GR Celica Rally1 brings back one of the best-known names in Toyota's rally history. In the 1990s, Carlos Sainz, Juha Kankkunen and Didier Auriol all won world titles in the Celica GT-Four.
Both cars are built to the new Rally1 regulations that take effect in 2027. Toyota says the GR Celica and GR Yaris will have equal power and performance. The new rules aim to make the top class more accessible to manufacturers and the competition closer. Homologation is due to be completed by the end of this year, and technical details and liveries will be revealed before the 2027 season.
Toyota has not yet officially unveiled a road-going Celica. The GR Celica name has been trademarked in several countries, and prototypes have been seen testing.
Tänak: "The desire to drive has still been strong"
"I'm honoured to be back with GAZOO Racing TOYOTA and the team with which Martin and I became world champions. We have very good memories from our previous time here, and I have a lot of respect for the people and what they have achieved, so it has been nice to start working together again this year in a development role," said Tänak.
"I have enjoyed having some time away from competition, but the desire to drive has still been strong, and it's been an interesting challenge to get involved in this new project. With such big technical changes, there has been a lot for us to discover and learn during this process. I'm excited to continue that work and have the opportunity to compete with the new car next season. It's going to be a new start for everybody and there are still a lot of unknowns, but I'm looking forward to getting back on the stages and pushing together with the team to achieve some good results."
His new team-mate Takamoto Katsuta also welcomed the return. "It will also be very special for me to have Ott and Kalle back alongside me. They are both very good friends who have helped me a lot over the years," the Japanese driver said.
Another Estonian in Toyota's programme
Jaspar Vaher continues in Toyota's GR WRC Challenge Program for young drivers. In his first season in the four-wheel-drive GR Yaris Rally2, he won the Rallye Ciudad de Pozoblanco in Spain and Jyväskylä Ralli in Finland, and finished fourth in WRC2 at Rally Finland. In 2027, Vaher will contest more WRC rounds in Europe and Japan.
The GR Yaris is also sold as a road car
Unlike the Celica, the road-going GR Yaris is already on sale. It has a 1.6-litre turbo engine and GR-FOUR all-wheel drive. The updated version from 2024 produces 206 kW and is available with an automatic gearbox as well as a manual. Several GR Yaris cars are currently listed on Autoportaal, including Toyota Approved cars with a warranty.
See also: Toyota GR Yaris listings · Toyota listings
