TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC (TGR W2RC) won Stage 2 of the Rallye du Maroc and moved into contention for overall victory after a gruelling day of action across harsh terrain in the penultimate round of the 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).

In temperatures of more than 30°C, the 300 km timed section of Stage 2 was particularly challenging with regularly changing conditions testing both crews and their DKR GR Hilux pickups.  

Starting at more than 1,000 metres above sea level, the route began south-west of Zagora and descended sharply on rocky tracks before the first sandy section, through dried riverbeds. Sand dunes followed before the stage looped eastwards and the terrain alternated between slow, rocky surfaces and soft sand through to the finish. Despite the difficulties, TGR W2RC made progress and has the podium in its sights, with two cars in the top 10.

Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings – 10th after Stage 1 – fought for victory from the beginning. They took the lead inside the opening half of the stage, before dropping to second going into the final kilometres. However, they reclaimed top spot shortly before the end and earned a stage win which moves the #202 DKR GR Hilux into second overall, just 28 seconds behind leaders Lucas Moraes and Pablo Moreno (Dacia Sandriders).

Seth Quintero and navigator Andrew Short started the day in seventh and initially lost ground early in Stage 2. However, they worked hard to minimise the damage and stay on course to earn valuable World Championship points after finishing Stage 2 in seventh. The #203 DKR GR Hilux remains seventh overall, within three minutes of the podium positions.

Akira Miura and Armand Monleón built on their strong performance in the opening stage by continuing to gain positions in the overall standings in the #204 DKR GR Hilux. They finished the stage in 15th place and have climbed to 14th overall.

The crews have three days and more than 1,000 km of competition remaining, continuing on Thursday with Stage 3. It consists of another loop around Zagora, this time touching the northern edge of the Sahara Desert on a 591 km route which includes a 363 km timed section.

Quotes:

Henk Lategan: “It was a really nice day, much better than yesterday. The car was performing really well, mechanically sound all day. The goal this morning was not to get out of the car and we managed that. Brett did a great job on the navigation. I just managed the pace and tried to make sure we didn’t get punctures or other trouble. I’m really happy with how it went. It has been a big day for us, and we’ve pulled ourselves back into contention. Now we have to open the road, which is always difficult, but we’ll keep pushing.”

Seth Quintero: “It was a decent day for us, just unfortunate that we had some navigation errors which cost us a few minutes. We are five minutes off the overall lead, which is not the best position, but we will push to improve it. It was an amazing job for Henk to get the win. It’s awesome for the team, and brings good points, so I’m super happy for him. For us, we are in front of our championship rivals and hopefully we can keep it that way. There are three long days to go.”

Akira Miura: “It was a difficult stage because we had to change our pace depending on the terrain to manage the risks. It was not easy, but we made it without trouble. The dune section was great fun. We pushed and really felt the sand surfing. Navigation was tricky today, but Armand helped a lot and allowed us to continue at a good pace. We’ll try to keep this going consistently and get more experience over the rest of the rally.”

Rallye du Maroc – Provisional Stage 2 result*

Rallye du Maroc – Provisional standings after Stage 2*

*Correct at time of publication

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC (TGR W2RC) overcame adversity to stay in the fight after the opening day of Rallye du Maroc, the penultimate round of the 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).

Three DKR GR Hilux pickups took the start in North Africa as the team looked to maintain the positive momentum from victory in the previous round in Argentina in May. Challenging terrain and gruelling conditions made life difficult for the crews, but TGR W2RC ended the opening day with two cars in the top 10.

In temperatures exceeding 30°C, Stage 1 took crews eastwards from the coastal city of Agadir to Zagora, near the Algerian border. Competitors faced a stony surface on a steep descent during the opening section before a gradual climb as the route became faster and passed through large sand dunes.

The stage began with an extremely close fight and just 10 seconds separated the top five, including two DKR GR Hilux, after 100 km of competition. However, soon after, both the leading DKR GR Hilux hit trouble which compromised their performance on the remainder of their stage.

Seth Quintero and navigator Andrew Short – who are just 13 points off the World Championship lead after victory in Argentina – started third on the road and were in podium contention in the early stages. The #203 DKR GR Hilux lost time with a puncture, but they nevertheless ended the day in a promising seventh, 3mins 28secs off the lead.

Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings were running as high as third after 100 km before dropping back, also due to a puncture and other issues. Despite that, the #202 DKR GR Hilux crew was 10th, 5mins 17secs behind the stage-winning TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa duo of Joao Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro.

Akira Miura completed another productive day alongside his experienced navigator Armand Monleón. Multiple Dakar Rally class winner Miura is in his first season of top-level W2RC competition and gained more experience of desert conditions during Stage 1. Consistent, strong pace saw the #204 DKR GR Hilux move up the order during the day, and they were running in 15th before a late puncture dropped them to 18th place.

The challenge continues on Wednesday’s Stage 2. The 423 km route travels into the desert on a loop south-west of Zagora, and includes 300 km of competitive action on a mix of rocky tracks and sand dunes.

Quotes:

Henk Lategan: “It was not the day we were hoping for because we had to do damage limitation. It was going okay for the first 100 km; we were running a good pace. Then we were in the dust of a bike and hit a rock, which gave us a puncture. Shortly after that, we experienced a technical issue. We had a long way to go, so we were just nursing the car to the finish. I’m a bit frustrated, but that can happen when you try new things. It’s not over. We have plenty of time to catch up, we have a nice road position, and this race will have more things to say.”

Seth Quintero: “The car was working really well early in the stage, and we were moving up the rankings. Being third on the road wasn’t easy but we did a very good job in the first 100 km. Unfortunately, we got a puncture and the jack wouldn’t come down, so we lost some time. Then we had to manage a technical issue and just make sure we got the car to the finish line. Despite that, I’m happy with the result considering we were among the first cars on stage. Our championship rivals are behind us, so it was a good day.”

Akira Miura: “It was tough stage, because we were running in the dust a lot of the time. But both Armand and I stayed concentrated, and we could keep up a steady pace. The result could have been even better if it wasn’t for the puncture 30 km before the end. Despite that, it was a good day overall and we have a decent starting position for Stage 2. We’ll keep pushing together with the team to get the best possible result.”

Rallye du Maroc – Provisional Stage 1 result*

   *Correct at time of publication

We achieved victory at our home race, the 6 Hours of Fuji.

To all the fans who fought alongside us.

To everyone who came to the circuit and continued supporting us until the very end.

And to everyone around the world who cheered for us.

Thank you very much.

First, I would like to say something to our drivers and to everyone in the team.

Congratulations on this victory. And thank you, truly.

Winning our home race is never easy.

With so many fans watching, you turned expectations into strength, overcame immense pressure, and delivered the result. I am truly proud of what you achieved.

Of course, I am happy that we won.

But what makes me even happier, and prouder, is the process that led to this result.

With "For the Engineering Race" in our hearts, every individual continued to refine their skills, learn from past failures, communicate openly, support one another, and build a stronger team.

The engineers continued racking their brains until the very end.

The mechanics continued believing in the car and maintaining it in the best possible condition.

The strategy team made courageous decisions in rapidly changing circumstances.

And the drivers continued pushing beyond their limits, believing in both their team-mates and the car.

No one wins a race alone.

Each person fulfilled their role, trusted one another, supported each other, and fought until the very end. That is why we were able to achieve this victory.

This was not a victory earned through speed alone.

It was a victory earned through human effort.

And today, we stood on the top step of the podium for the third time this season.

Rather than being a one-off success, it feels like everything we have built together is beginning to turn into genuine strength.

After Le Mans, I said that "the team has changed".

Morizo-san has continued to pursue ever-better car-making through motorsports, nurtured team-mates who embrace challenges, and created an environment where those team-mates can fully demonstrate their abilities.

Because of that, we have been able to believe in our own path and move forward with confidence.

Presenting the Le Mans winner's trophy to Morizo-san was the moment we fulfilled a promise.

However, that trophy was never the finish line.

It represents the resolve of our engineers.

The hard work of the team-mates who sweated on the front lines.

And the passion of every team member who believed in our potential and continued to take on challenges.

To refine our technology.

To trust our team-mates.

And to continue challenging ourselves in the pursuit of becoming the best in the world.

That is TOYOTA RACING.

Thank you for your continued support of TOYOTA RACING.

With just an hour remaining, the TR010 HYBRIDs were out of podium contention after experiencing different setbacks against strong Hypercar competition. But, in front of a 72,326-strong weekend crowd, a bold strategy turned the race on its head, and determined driving earned a tense win.

Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa won the race in their #8 TR010 HYBRID and took the lead in the drivers’ standings with two races remaining in the season. The team’s 10th victory at Fuji stretches its advantage in the manufacturers’ championship to 23 points.

Le Mans winners Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries recovered from their own setbacks to finish eighth and stay in the title battle, in second, 10 points behind their team-mates.

After poor weather caused qualifying to be cancelled, the TR010 HYBRIDs had ground to make up to challenge at the front. The #8 started from eighth with the #7 in 13th when the race began on a damp track. Sébastien quickly made up two positions while Nyck’s race was disrupted by a puncture inside the first half-hour. A promising fightback was then interrupted by a spin due to contact with the #35 Alpine early in the second hour.

The TR010 HYBRIDs battled their way into top six contention during the opening three hours, but the second half started with frustration. Early in the fifth hour, Brendon was pushed into a spin by the #007 Aston Martin at turn one. At the next pit stops soon after, Ryō took the wheel in sixth. Kamui was seventh until a drive-through penalty for speeding under a full course yellow dropped the #7 to 12th.

However, a safety car with 55 minutes to go enabled a bold strategic call from the #8 crew. Engineers correctly anticipated a longer interruption due to barrier repairs, so the #8 was refuelled accordingly, and did not change tyres. Ryō therefore led the race when it resumed with 20 minutes remaining. As the rain fell and under intense pressure, he held off the #36 Alpine and crossed the line 0.591secs ahead. Kamui made up two positions in the final minutes to finish eighth.

The World Championship battle now returns to Europe for the penultimate round of the season, the inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona on 18 October at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Quotes:

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7): “Winning at Fuji is very important for us so congratulations to the whole team for this victory, and particularly the car #8 crew who did such a strong race. Everyone worked so hard for this, and we all kept fighting until the very end. For our car, it was a bit of a difficult day and I don’t think we had a clean enough race. We were a little bit off the pace generally, so we were always chasing and that defined our day.”

Mike Conway (Driver, car #7): “A great result in the end for car #8. They deserved that one after a great call on the last stop to jump everyone in the pits. So well done to them. As a team we scored good points today and won in front of our home fans, which always feels great. On our car, the penalty took us out of contention. Unfortunately, that means we lost some ground in the drivers’ championship but there are still two races to go, and we’ll do our best to get back on top.”

Nyck de Vries (Driver, car #7): “This is a great result for the team and I’m super happy that TOYOTA RACING was able to win at home in Japan. I think this makes everyone very, very proud. We scored a few points with our car but of course we hoped for more. I think several things could have gone differently and been done better but that's racing. We need to focus instead on a great team victory and celebrate a very good day for the team.”

Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8): “This is one of our best wins in a long time. I’m really proud of this one, especially because it was completely unexpected going into the last part of the race. The team made a great call on the last pit stop and it was enough to jump ahead of everyone. An amazing strategy move. And then of course, Ryō kept everyone behind and didn’t make any mistakes in difficult conditions. All in all, it was an amazing win.”

Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8): “What an incredible race and home win. I’m so happy for Ryō to take the flag at his home race. It's a really nice feeling that we're going to enjoy for a while. We didn't have the ultimate pace but with good execution, no mistakes on track, and an amazing strategy at the end, we came away with the home win. Massive thanks for everyone on the team.”

Ryō Hirakawa (Driver, car #8): “It’s amazing to be on the top step of the podium in front of our fans. Of course, we always pushed to get a victory but until the last safety car, it didn’t look possible. The team did a great job on strategy. This win is for them. The last few laps were really stressful. The track conditions were quite tricky, and the Alpine was closing quite fast. I was able to manage it, so I’m really happy, especially in Fuji. It’s a really special feeling and also good for the World Championship.”

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Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa will line up eighth in their #8 TR010 HYBRID while Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries start from 13th in their #7 TR010 HYBRID.

The fastest laps of the weekend so far were recorded in Friday’s dry practice sessions. Saturday morning’s final session took place in wet conditions before the rain intensified.

Fans can follow the race – starting at 11am local time (4am CEST) via the onboard camera streams at www.toyota-racing.com/fuji-special-2026.

Away from the track action, a press conference at Fuji Speedway today announced TOYOTA RACING’s expanded partnership with MissionH24, an initiative to decarbonise motorsports supported by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. TOYOTA RACING will supply a 3.5-litre, V6 hydrogen combustion engine to MissionH24 for use in its future prototype. Hydrogen engines retain the sounds and sensations of a traditional engine but create zero CO2 emissions during driving.

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The team aims to extend its lead in the World Championship by winning in front of its home supporters for the 10th time. To do so, it must overcome a 17-car Hypercar field and Friday’s two 90-minute free practice sessions showed the intensity of the competition. Less than a second separated the top 15 cars after a day of dry running on the foothills of Mount Fuji.

Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa were fastest in the opening session before ending the day eighth in their #8 TR010 HYBRID. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, who are tied on points at the top of the drivers’ standings were 13th fastest in their #7 TR010 HYBRID.

With its long straight and mix of high- and low-speed corners, Fuji Speedway is challenging for drivers and engineers alike. Both crews, therefore, had a comprehensive programme of mechanical and aerodynamic set-up comparisons, to optimise their cars for the demands of Sunday’s race.

The TR010 HYBRIDs hit the track for the first time in the morning, in warm and dry conditions. A trouble-free session allowed engineers and drivers to make progress on set-ups and strategies. Ryō set the fastest lap of the session in the opening minutes, while Nyck’s best time earned eighth place for the #7.

Despite an initial forecast of rain for the afternoon, the weather stayed dry for second practice. This allowed the team to analyse the soft and medium Michelin tyres whilst also adjusting set-ups to improve balance over long stints. Ryō again recorded the #8 car’s best lap, with Kamui doing so in the #7.

With rain forecast on Saturday, third practice will be an important chance to adjust the TR010 HYBRIDs before qualifying. Qualifying begins at 2.40pm local time (7.40am CEST) and fans can follow it – as well as the race – live via the onboard camera streams at www.toyota-racing.com/fuji-special-2026.

Quotes:

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7): “Of course, it's nice to be back in front of our Japanese fans and it’s always fun to drive here. In terms of the car set-up, we still need to work on some things for the race. We had dry conditions today but unfortunately, we expect some rain tomorrow, so we need to prepare for that as well. We will do our best whatever the weather.”

Mike Conway (Driver, car #7): “We spent the two sessions just trying to find a bit more pace in the car and I think we did okay. The lap times look pretty close, so every small improvement can have a big impact. Let’s see what the weather brings because that can change the picture. Either way, we’re trying to get most out of our car in all conditions.”

Nyck de Vries (Driver, car #7): “I think it was a decent day. It was nice to get some dry running in and get prepared in case we have a dry race. We don’t know exactly what the weather will do on Sunday, so it's good to have covered that today. We’re looking forward to welcoming all our Japanese friends and colleagues to the track this weekend. We'll do our best for them.”

Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8): “We've been here since Sunday so it's nice to finally get to drive the car. These sessions could be the driest day of the weekend. Nevertheless, we tried to learn as much as we could. We drove both specifications of tyre, and I think we have a good picture now. We tested a few things, so we have a lot of data to analyse. Hopefully we’ll improve our overall package for the weekend.”

Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8): “It was an okay day, and we’ve ended up with a balance that we're pretty happy with. After FP1 we made changes for FP2 which actually went in the wrong direction, but this is still important learning, and it helped us to understand where we are in dry conditions. There could be rain tomorrow, but who knows for the race, so it was important to go through our programme today.”

Ryō Hirakawa (Driver, car #8): “The main target today was to prepare for the race. But at the same time, knowing the risk of rain tomorrow, we also tried a qualifying simulation at the start of each session before focusing on race set-ups. It’s very close in Hypercar and we are in the mix, looking at the lap times. We just need to fine-tune and find a little bit more lap time.”

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The intense Italian island event will decide the winners of the drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles after the FIA and WRC Promoter confirmed that Rally Saudi Arabia, scheduled for November, will not form part of the 2026 WRC season.

Sardinia will therefore also host the end of an era and the farewell WRC event for the highly successful GR YARIS Rally1 car before new technical regulations are introduced for 2027. Across five seasons, the GR YARIS Rally1 has established itself as one of the most successful cars in WRC history with 47 victories – more than any other model under any previous set of regulations.

TGR-WRT will arrive in Sardinia having already secured a record-equalling sixth successive manufacturers’ title on the last round in Chile, and knowing that one of its crews will win the drivers’ and co-drivers’ crowns for the seventh time in eight years.

With 35 points available from the final round, Elfyn Evans leads the drivers’ standings by 17 points over Sami Pajari and 21 over Oliver Solberg, with one of these three drivers now guaranteed to achieve the dream of becoming world champion.

Welsh driver Evans and his co-driver Scott Martin will look to crown another strong and consistent campaign, in which they have taken impressive victories in Sweden and Japan and led the championship since round five in the Canary Islands in April, continuing to score highly while opening the road on mostly loose gravel rallies.

While a title for Evans would be the culmination of seven seasons spent fighting for victories and championship honours with TGR-WRT, his two young challengers have the opportunity to crown breakthrough seasons of their own.

Finnish driver Pajari, 24, has shone in his second full season driving Rally1 machinery and surged firmly into championship contention along with co-driver Marko Salminen when the pair achieved their first three WRC victories back-to-back in Estonia, Finland and Paraguay – something nobody had ever done before.

Swedish driver Solberg, who turned 25 on September 23, started his first full season with TGR-WRT with a victory on the legendary Rallye Monte-Carlo in January, before he and co-driver Elliott Edmondson boosted their title hopes with a second win in Chile earlier this month.

While nine-time world champion Sébastien Ogier, fourth in the standings, can no longer claim a record 10th title this year, he will set a new benchmark for the number of WRC starts in Sardinia when he begins his 214th event – surpassing the tally reached by Team Principal, Jari-Matti Latvala, on his one-off appearance at Rally Finland earlier this year. Ogier is the most successful driver in the history of the Sardinian event, claiming his fifth win there in 2025 alongside co-driver Vincent Landais.

Takamoto Katsuta is another driver to have achieved a breakout year with his first two WRC victories in Kenya and Croatia, in the process becoming the first Japanese driver to lead the drivers’ standings. He is set to reunite in Sardinia with regular co-driver Aaron Johnston, who missed Chile while recovering from a collarbone injury.

In WRC2, GR Yaris Rally2 drivers Roope Korhonen and Teemu Suninen are among those competing in Sardinia with a chance to finish as championship runner-up. Joining them in the class are Gus Greensmith, Kajetan Kajetanowicz, Fabio Schwarz and Johannes Keferböck, while Italian driver Matteo Fontana, the 2025 champion and 2026 champion-elect in the WRC3 category, makes his WRC2 debut. Luis Arceluz and Martin Grigg also enter the rally in GR Yaris Rally2 cars.

TGR WRC Challenge Program driver Yuki Yamamoto will not take part in Sardinia, a decision taken jointly to provide him with the best opportunity to reset and focus on his continued development. Yamamoto has shown progress with his pace and performances this season, securing a maiden WRC2 podium at Rally Japan, and the Program continues to support him in his training and preparation to return stronger in the future.

Usually run in June, Rally Italia Sardegna moves to an October date for the first time since 2020. Even if temperatures may not be quite as high as in summer, they could still combine with the rocky and abrasive base – which gets exposed as each passing car sweeps away the sandy surface – to test tyres and cars. At the same time, the change in season could increase the chances of changeable weather conditions blowing in off the Mediterranean Sea.

For this year the rally’s base alternates once more from Olbia to the historic city of Alghero on the northwest coast, and the event begins with an opening super special stage at the nearby Ittiri rallycross circuit on Thursday evening. Friday features two loops of three stages on familiar roads to the north-east, separated by mid-day service. Saturday has a similar format in a similar area but includes a completely new stage to round out each loop: Solorche. Sunday consists of two returning stages in the north-west run twice, with a final tyre-fitting zone before the second pass of Sassari-Argentiera serves as the season-ending Power Stage.

Quotes:
Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)
“This has been another amazing season for our team, with all five of our crews winning multiple rounds of the WRC, and a record-equalling manufacturers’ championship under our belt. It’s going to be very special to go to Sardinia with three of our crews fighting to become world champion for the first time. For our team, the most important thing is to provide them all with a strong and reliable car so that they can have an even fight. We know that Sardinia can be a rough rally with a lot of rocks, so it can be hard for the tyres and the drivers will need to calculate the risks they take. Elfyn has driven another great season as we have come to expect from him, and while he may have the most difficult position opening the road in Sardinia, he also has a lot of experience he can rely on in this situation. Sami has grown a lot during this year, and Oliver has bounced back strongly to stay in the fight, and it’s an exciting opportunity for both of them to challenge for a title for the first time. We’re looking forward to a fair fight and a fitting finale for our GR YARIS Rally1 car.”

Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“Our approach for Sardinia doesn’t change just because it’s the last rally of the season: we have to go there and have the best rally that we can. We’ve worked hard to put ourselves in this position, holding on to the lead through a difficult run of gravel rallies. Sami and Oliver have been driving well, and with so many points still available, especially on Sunday, we know things will most likely remain open until the end. We just need to drive it like a normal rally and focus on doing the best job we can. Sardinia is usually not an easy rally to open the road on, and although we might be more likely to see some rain at this time of year, which could help reduce the cleaning effect for us, we have to prepare for a demanding event like usual.”

Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 1)
“Sardinia is a rally that I have always enjoyed going to during my career. While the island itself is beautiful, the rally is really demanding and it took me a few years to master it, but it was very satisfying to win there again last year after a close fight right until the end. I also remember driving there in October a couple of times before, and it can still be really challenging at this time of year, especially with weather that can change very quickly when you’re on an island. Now that the team has secured another manufacturers’ title, and that we officially no longer have a chance in the drivers’ championship, our target will be to enjoy driving this great car one last time and, of course, try to achieve one more victory to end the season.”

Oliver Solberg (Driver car 99)
“The championship has looked like a long shot for us at times this year but we never gave up. It was great to get back into the fight with our result in Chile and go into this last rally with a shot at the title. It’s a big gap to Elfyn to try to close in one rally, but we will give it everything of course, and in a rally like Sardinia, anything can still happen. The stages are challenging, with fast sections where you need good commitment, as well as more technical parts where you have to be more patient. I don’t have so much experience there, especially in the top category, but we had a good run to win the Rally2 class last year and we just have to aim for the top step once more and see what happens.”

Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)
“I’m looking forward to Sardinia. The rally is really demanding but it’s one that I always enjoy going to with a nice atmosphere around it, and it will be interesting to drive there this time as the final round of the season. We’ve had some really good moments this year, as well as some tougher ones more recently, but the team is really supporting me a lot and now I’m just focused on coming back stronger and having a positive end to the season – and enjoying the last event with this Rally1 car. Our road position, being sixth on the road, should be better for us – if it doesn’t rain – and hopefully it can be a good opportunity for us.”

Sami Pajari (Driver car 5)
“It’s really nice to be in the fight for the championship with only one rally to go, and I’m looking forward to it. I just need to do the best that I can, like in every single rally, so nothing really changes on my side. The gaps closed up between the top three in Chile but Elfyn still has the advantage in the points; anything is still possible and we’ll focus on doing what we can. Sardinia is a rally that I normally like a lot. The stages are quite twisty and most of them are pretty narrow, but I’ve been able to do quite well there in the past. Now we’re going at a different time of year but I don’t expect it to affect the nature of the rally too much, even if the temperatures may not be quite as high as usual.”

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Read the full press release on Woven by Toyota. 

The team is ready to respond following a cruel finish to the last race in Austin earlier this month, when a technical issue snatched victory from its grasp with just 11 minutes remaining. Despite that, TOYOTA RACING extended its advantage in the manufacturers’ World Championship to nine points going into the sixth race of the season.

Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, who came so close to victory in Austin in their #7 TR010 HYBRID, are tied on points at the top of the drivers’ standings. Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa recovered from misfortunes in Austin to finish a battling sixth in their #8 TR010 HYBRID and close the gap to just 11 points with three races remaining.

Victory at Fuji Speedway to complement its Le Mans win in June is the target for the team’s home event, at a venue with particular significance. The Higashi-Fuji Technical Center – where the TR010 HYBRID’s powertrain is designed, developed and built – is just a short drive from the circuit.

Every year, many team members from Higashi-Fuji, as well as TOYOTA colleagues and team partners, visit Fuji Speedway to show their strong support. Since the start of its hybrid WEC project in 2012, the team has rewarded its home fans with results to celebrate, with nine wins from 12 races – including six one-twos.

Fuji Speedway is also a demanding circuit for car and driver. The 1.475km start-finish straight – on which cars exceed 315km/h – contrasts with the tight third sector, which requires aerodynamic and mechanical grip, as well as strong traction out of the corners. To optimise set-ups, engineers and drivers have worked intensively on the driving simulator at the team’s base in Cologne, Germany.

Away from the on-track action, a range of activities are offered to visitors in the fan zone, including vehicle displays and interactive attractions. At the ‘Mechanic Experience’ area, visitors can experience the pressure and excitement of a WEC pit stop via a tyre-change challenge on an actual Hypercar. Other highlights include photo opportunities with the Le Mans winner's trophy, driver appearances, and official merchandise sales, helping fans enjoy their time at the circuit even away from on-track sessions. For more information, visit the dedicated website: https://toyota-racing.com/jp/fuji-special-2026/

Live onboard camera streams will also be available during qualifying and the race via the website. Hypercar qualifying begins at 2.40pm local time (7.40am CEST) on Saturday 26 September, while the race starts at 11am (4am CEST) the following day.

Quotes:

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7): “We are expecting a lot of Japanese fans supporting us and we are very much looking forward to coming home. It’s an important race, not only for the World Championship, but because it’s our home race and the second most important of the season, after Le Mans. Obviously, we want to fight for the win, particularly in front of all our TOYOTA colleagues, partners and fans. It’s always a big target for us at the start of every season and we’ll give everything to achieve it.”

Mike Conway (Driver, car #7): “We all look forward to Fuji because it’s our home race and being in Japan is so cool. It's always a lot of fun to catch up with our partners and our colleagues at TOYOTA. Driving a TR010 HYBRID around Fuji will be a lot of fun too because it's a very technical circuit, not easy to get right. We've had great results there in the past, and I hope we can do so again this year.”

Nyck de Vries (Driver, car #7): “It's a special week for us because it’s a true home race. We obviously have a lot of colleagues, friends and support in Japan and it's an opportunity to share time with them and hopefully make them proud. I like the track, it’s fun to drive around, and the location is fantastic. So, I'm excited about this race, when hopefully we can put Austin behind us.”

Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8): “Fuji is a big race for us, and winning there is always one of our priorities. It’s an amazing week with the support we get, and the different activities we do. Driving a Hypercar there is fun too, because you have a mix of high-speed and low-speed corners, with the long, wide straight. Traffic is tricky, and it’s not easy on the tyres, so it’s a challenging circuit.”

Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8): “Fuji is a unique race for us. It's a week that I really enjoy and cherish. We have the home crowd and our colleagues there, so we feel the pride of Japan behind us. It’s a great motivation to perform well. I also enjoy the track. It's quite quirky with a nice high-speed section at the start, then the last sector with connecting long corners.”

Ryō Hirakawa (Driver, car #8): “I grew up as a racing driver at Fuji. Since my first year in Formula Challenge Japan in 2010 I have driven there, so I really know and like the track. It's just an important event for us and for me personally. It’s my only race of the year in Japan, and it’s very special to compete in front of the Japanese fans. I'm really excited and looking forward to it.”

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GAZOO Racing will benefit from the expertise and technology of a world-class roster of official partners for its pioneering Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) entry in the Dakar Rally, to be contested in Saudi Arabia on 1-15 January 2027.

As part of its commitment to making ever-better motorsports-bred cars, GAZOO Racing is developing the DKR GR FC Hilux via Toyota’s European research and development centre near Brussels, Belgium. The prototype will enter the Dakar Future Mission 1000 category, which is dedicated to experimental vehicles and the demonstration of new technologies.

The 2027 Dakar Future Mission 1000 entry marks the first time Toyota has combined hydrogen and fuel cell technology in its motorsport’s activities. The DKR GR FC Hilux aims to prove the performance, safety and reliability of fuel cell technology in the harsh environment of the Dakar Rally, over 13 stages, comprising a total of 1,000 competitive kilometres.

Based on the DKR GR Hilux, which has already proven itself in Dakar’s top category, the DKR GR FC Hilux replaces its petrol engine with Toyota’s fuel cell system. It emits no CO₂ while driving, with water as its only tailpipe emission.

Jameel Motorsport, DENSO, TOYO TIRES and IAV have joined as official partners, sharing GAZOO Racing’s commitment to making ever-better cars through motorsports. With the support of its official partners, Toyota will continue to advance its challenge to unlock the potential of carbon-neutral and hydrogen-related technologies in motorsports.

Toyota welcomes Jameel Motorsport, DENSO, TOYO TIRES and IAV onboard a shared journey on the Dakar Future Mission 1000 and sincerely thank them for their support.

The final assembly of the DKR GR FC Hilux is ongoing at Toyota’s European headquarters prior to a pre-Dakar Rally testing programme.

Jameel Motorsport

Munir Khoja, Managing Director of Jameel Motorsport: “For Jameel Motorsport, becoming a partner for DKR GR FC Hilux was an enticing opportunity to advance and champion sustainable motorsport. Having built our foundation on nurturing Saudi drivers, competing on the world's biggest stages, and achieving landmark milestones, we are now expanding our efforts to focus on manufacturer teams, and the DKR GR FC Hilux represents a natural next step in that journey. In alignment with Saudi Vision 2030, we believe hydrogen has a vital role to play alongside other zero-emission solutions in the motorsport arena, and we are proud to help demonstrate, at the highest levels of competition and engineering, that performance and sustainability can go hand in hand.”

DENSO

Kenichiro Ito, CEO of DENSO INTERNATIONAL EUROPE: “DENSO shares Toyota's vision of advancing carbon-neutral mobility through innovation and real-world challenge. The DKR GR FC Hilux and Mission 1000 represent an inspiring opportunity to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen technology under demanding conditions. We are proud to support Toyota’s hydrogen-powered motorsports and its broader commitment to exploring pathways toward a more sustainable mobility society.”

TOYO TIRES

Junichi Uda, Corporate Officer, Division General Manager, Product Planning Division:

“Through our motorsport’s activities, we strive to enhance our expertise in sustainable product development technologies and contribute to a sustainable mobility society by delivering higher-performance, higher-quality, and more attractive products to customers around the world. Based on this vision, we have decided to support this project, as we fully share and endorse its objectives.”

IAV

Jörg Astalosch, Chief Executive Officer of IAV: “At IAV, we have always believed that the best technologies are developed at the edge of what is possible. For many years, we have been developing fuel cell technologies, combining this expertise with our global engineering capabilities. The Dakar Future Mission 1000 pushes innovative technologies to their limits under challenging conditions and provides a true test of performance and resilience. We are proud that IAV’s product ECU Dragoon powered by our software stack is part of this demanding mission and very pleased to support Toyota on this journey.”

^{*FCEV: Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle}

Rooted in the shared conviction that hydrogen is an important complement to battery-electric vehicles in achieving the EU’s decarbonization targets, industry leaders are joining forces to overcome historical bottlenecks, particularly for truck operations requiring long range, high payload capacity, rapid refueling and operational flexibility. At Daimler Truck, customers have driven almost 600,000 kilometers with fuel cell trucks. As the next step, the company plans to deploy a small series of 100 next-generation fuel cell trucks into customer operations from the end of 2026 onwards. In parallel, the first hydrogen combustion engine trucks are being prepared for market launch next year. Overall, the company invests a mid-three-digit million euro amount in hydrogen trucks by the end of the decade. Volvo Group is similarly advancing its hydrogen portfolio and investing significant amounts into hydrogen power solutions such as both fuel cell and hydrogen-combustion trucks for market rollout towards 2030. Toyota will participate as a technology partner supporting the expansion of hydrogen mobility, leveraging more than 30 years of expertise gained through the development and supply of fuel cell systems, while Bosch is supplying key vehicle components for gaseous hydrogen – with its fuel cell system proven over more than 30 million kilometers on the road – alongside break-through refueling technologies for both liquid and gaseous hydrogen.

On the energy and infrastructure side, Volvo Group and Daimler Truck are closely cooperating with energy companies and hydrogen suppliers like Air Liquide, TotalEnergies and MB Energy, and retail operators such as MB Energy and TEAL Mobility (a 50/50 joint venture between TotalEnergies and Air Liquide, operating under TotalEnergies brand). These players are mobilizing their respective capacities to scale both liquid and gaseous hydrogen supply chains. Through their infrastructure investments, they are advancing toward large capacity, high-throughput refueling stations, able to refuel up to 100 trucks per day. They are also leveraging synergies with the fast-growing industrial renewable hydrogen production, driven by the implementation of the European RED III directive. Reaching competitive cost with diesel is essential for fleet operators to adopt hydrogen. Crucially, combining German government policies with industrial collaboration makes this possible through three key levers:

1. Lowering truck cost through incentives and series production.

2. Reaching diesel competitive hydrogen pump price through a more competitive hydrogen supply chain and Greenhouse Gas quota mechanisms.

3. Offering operating incentives like zero emission toll exemptions for fleet operators.

Market is rising to meet these conditions. Recent applications under Germany's NOW funding program were oversubscribed, with over 70 high-capacity stations and 800 heavy-duty trucks applied for by industrial companies, confirming strong commercial pull from the logistics sector.

While Germany serves as the operational launchpad, demonstrating how industry action and targeted public support can accelerate market development, the industry leaders are calling for strategic measures – supported by national governments and the European Commission – to replicate this model at a continental scale.

These measures include scaling infrastructure through synchronized funding calls for refueling stations and vehicles to meet Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) targets; strengthening the commercial viability of hydrogen through pragmatic, harmonized renewable fuel credit mechanisms and toll incentives; and jointly de-risking the overall value chain, from production and liquefaction to final distribution and vehicle operation.

This combination of industrial execution and a strong policy framework provides the foundation needed to scale zero-emission freight while reinforcing Europe’s industrial competitiveness, energy resilience and employment, and reducing emissions from freight transport.

In the past five years, European sales of Toyota Professional LCVs have more than doubled, aiming to reach more than 165,000 units in 2026. This growth has also delivered a doubling of Toyota’s market share to more than 7%, reinforcing the role of LCVs as a strategic pillar of the company’s European business.

Today, Toyota offers models in all the principal LCV segments, including compact, medium and heavy-duty PROACE vans, people carriers and the legendary Hilux pick-up, recently making its debut in an all-new ninth generation.

Towards 2030

Toyota is targeting further strengthening of its European LCV market performance, based on the three pillars that have supported its growth to-date. By 2030 it aims to achieve 200,000 Toyota Professional sales and an 8% market share.

It will also develop its reputation as an innovator in the segment with the roll-out of new hydrogen solutions with the introduction of the Hilux FCEV in 2028. Early target performance data for this model are a driving range of more than 400 km (WLTP) and the ability to tow loads of up to 2,500 kg.

Till Conrad, Toyota Motor Europe (TME) Executive Vice President, Sales, said: “Scale alone is not success. If quality does not follow this pace, it’s just a number. Real success is measured by consistent standards, strong execution and a network that delivers the Toyota Professional promise every day.”

Electrification and a multi-path approach are key to growth

With the introduction this summer of the all-new Hilux battery electric pick-up, Toyota offers BEV versions across its entire LCV range. BEVs now account for 22% of all Toyota Professional sales, compared to a market average of around 11%. This demonstrates customers’ appreciation of not just Toyota vehicles, but also the quality of service and associated products such as finance and insurance that are focused on meeting their business needs and priorities.

Highlighting Toyota’s commitment to its multi-path technology approach, Till Conrad said: “While our BEV results are strong, we believe the scale of the decarbonisation challenge facing Europe requires every available technology to play a role. Different customers have different operational requirements, which is why there is no single solution for every business. Toyota continues to offer the right technology for the right application.”

Success founded on three pillars

Toyota Professional’s success in achieving sustained growth is founded on three customer-focused pillars.

The first is customer choice: simply put, being able to provide each customer with the right vehicle, the right powertrain and the right package to meet their needs.

Toyota’s multi-path approach increases choice, with different powertrain technologies helping drive decarbonisation while meeting diverse customer needs. Toyota recognises that a single technology solution cannot address the business requirements, mobility needs or the local operating environments of all customers, so its LCVs are offered – according to market and model – with battery electric, Hybrid 48V and diesel combustion engines. The latter include units that can run on renewable fuels such as HVO, contributing to Toyota’s wide-ranging actions to reduce carbon emissions.

The second pillar is Toyota’s commitment to delivering complete service satisfaction, ensuring customer needs and priorities are met. Dedicated business customer support is provided by a network of more than 500 specialist Toyota Professional centres across Europe – a number that has grown by more than 165% since 2019.

Vehicle uptime is critical to business operations, so Toyota helps keep vehicles on the road with express servicing, courtesy vehicles and roadside assistance as part of its new vehicle sales promise*.

Further peace of mind is provided by Toyota Relax, an unmatched service-activated manufacturer warranty programme. On completion of the initial three-year warranty period, all Toyota vehicles – LCVs included – qualify for an additional 12 months’/15,000 km cover – at no extra cost – when they have a qualifying service at a Toyota workshop, up to 10 years or 185,000 km driven.

*Details may vary according to local market.

Convenience and quality are also intrinsic to the third pillar, the provision of a one-stop-shop Toyota Professional ecosystem that gives customers quick and easy access to Toyota products and services to support their vehicle purchase and day-to-day operation. These include Toyota Financial Services, Toyota Insurance Services and KINTO, Toyota’s provider of innovative, sustainable and high-quality fleet and mobility services, including vehicle leasing and fleet management.

Most customers require their vehicle to be customised, whether it’s simply the addition of a business livery or a more complex conversion such as a refrigerated van or tipper body. Toyota makes the process easy and time-efficient by offering both factory and local conversion options. The factory conversions are for industry-standard solutions while the local conversions are carried out by specialist partner businesses working to Toyota-specified standards, providing the customer with a market-specific solution.

HANNOVER, Germany, 14 September 2026 - At IAA Transportation 2026, Toyota Motor Europe has presented the next stage of its hydrogen strategy, showcasing new advances in fuel cell technology and partnerships with industry leaders to accelerate deployment in heavy-duty transport.

Hydrogen is an important pillar of Toyota’s multi-pathway approach to carbon neutrality. It has particular advantages where long range, high utilisation, fast refuelling, payload and operational flexibility are critical - especially in heavy-duty transport, where vehicles run demanding routes with limited downtime.

Toyota’s third-generation fuel cell system has been developed specifically for the specific demands of commercial applications. Compared with the previous generation, it delivers twice the output, twice the durability, 20% better fuel efficiency and significantly lower cost, bringing fuel cell trucks closer to the performance and operating expectations of diesel fleets while producing zero tailpipe emissions.

Forging partnerships with leading OEMS

With Scania, Toyota will supply third-generation fuel cell systems for 40 heavy-duty vehicles in Scania’s Pilot Partner programme. Equipped with Toyota’s latest 300 kW fuel cell system in a highly compact design for heavy-duty applications and other use cases, the first trucks are expected to start operating in the first quarter of 2027, generating real-world insights into performance, operational efficiency and total cost of ownership for demanding long-distance and high-utilisation transport.

Toyota is also working with IVECO through EMPOWER, the EU-funded Horizon Europe project for zero-emission heavy-duty transport. Toyota will provide the fuel cell system for IVECO’s new-generation fuel cell electric vehicles, while IVECO leads vehicle development, integration and validation. Powered by Toyota fuel cell systems with a total output of 300 kW , the IVECO S-eWay Fuel Cell is designed for a driving range beyond 900 km and durability of more than 25,000 operating hours. Validation starts in the fourth quarter of 2026, with on-road trials planned for the first half of 2027.

Motor racing – the ultimate test

In addition, Toyota continues to test hydrogen technologies in demanding environments. Since 2017, Toyota has been using motorsport to improve performance, efficiency and reliability of hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines. Toyota will take its hydrogen innovation in motorsport a step further in 2027, when Toyota GAZOO Racing plans to enter a fuel cell Hilux in the Dakar Rally’s Future Mission 1000 category; in 2028, the Hilux Fuel Cell, targeting a driving range of more than 400 kilometres and towing capacity of up to 2.5 tonnes, is set for launch.

Commitment to developing infrastructure

Toyota recognises that vehicles alone will not be enough to scale hydrogen mobility. Infrastructure, hydrogen supply, customer demand and policy frameworks must develop together, creating local hydrogen ecosystems that can gradually connect into broader networks. In Europe, initiatives in Germany and the Netherlands show how vehicle deployment and refuelling infrastructure can progress together, supported by frameworks such as the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation.

Toyota’s announcements at IAA follows earlier news in July this year that The Volvo Group, Daimler Truck AG, cellcentric and Toyota Motor Corporation signed a binding agreement for Toyota to join cellcentric as an equal partner and shareholder in cellcentric. Through the collaboration, the parties intend to strengthen cellcentric's position as a leading developer and manufacturer of fuel cell systems for heavy-duty commercial applications. The transaction is still subject to regulatory approval.

The team’s latest title success equals two long-standing WRC records, matching the six successive championships achieved by Lancia between 1987 and 1992, and bringing Toyota level with the Italian marque on 10 titles in total.

The result in Chile is the 11th win from 12 rallies so far this season for the GR YARIS Rally1 as well as an eighth one-two finish.

A second victory of 2026 for Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson – after their season-opening triumph at Rallye Monte-Carlo – means all five of the team’s crews have now won multiple rallies this year.

The young Swedish driver excelled in wet and muddy conditions in the opening stages on Friday morning to establish an early lead over team-mate Elfyn Evans, which he then gradually extended with smart driving across drier and more abrasive stages. Solberg ultimately secured victory by 16.6 seconds with the fastest time in the rally-ending Power Stage. 

Championship leader Evans and co-driver Scott Martin also capitalised on the wet weather at the start of the event which negated the disadvantage they have faced sweeping loose gravel roads across recent rallies. After fending off a charging Sébastien Ogier to retain second place on Saturday evening, Evans started the final day strongly with a stage win and was leading the Super Sunday classification until a cruel blow in the penultimate stage, where he stopped to change a tyre and lost two minutes, dropping to fifth position.

In the rally where he matched his Team Principal Jari-Matti Latvala’s all-time record of 213 WRC starts, Ogier also equalled Sébastien Loeb’s record tally of 120 podium finishes. Sixth after Friday morning’s first stage, Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais fought back strongly thereafter to finish second overall and topped the Super Sunday classification by 3.8s over Solberg.

Evans recovered from his penultimate stage setback to take second in the Power Stage, half a second behind Solberg and 0.1s ahead of nearest championship rival Sami Pajari, who saw his unprecedented streak of three successive maiden victories come to an end but still secured a solid fourth place finish alongside co-driver Marko Salminen. 

Evans continues to lead the drivers’ championship by 17 points over Pajari and 21 over Solberg with two rounds remaining on the schedule.

After getting stuck on the edge of the road in Friday’s opening stage, Takamoto Katsuta restarted on Saturday and set strong top-six times despite running first on the gravel road together with stand-in co-driver James Fulton.

*subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA

Quotes:
Akio Toyoda (TGR-WRT Chairman)
“Oliver, Elliott, congratulations on your victory!

This season, Takamoto won back-to-back rallies in the first half of the year, and then both Elfyn and Seb claimed their second victories of the season. Sami even went on a streak of three consecutive wins. Since their victory at the season opener, Oliver and Elliott had been unable to return to the top step of the podium, and I imagine it has not been an easy season for them. That is why I am genuinely delighted that they were finally able to secure their second win of the year here in Chile.

And thanks to that victory, the manufacturers’ championship has now been secured for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team! Congratulations to Jari-Matti, Juha, and every member of the team. Thank you all for your incredible efforts.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to our fans who continue to support us, and to all of our partners who fight alongside us throughout the season. Thank you very much.

In previous years, this was the time of year when everyone would come to Japan. Being able to celebrate our successes together and see everyone in person was always something I looked forward to. Unfortunately, we will not have that opportunity this year, and I honestly wish we could.

However, there is still plenty to look forward to this season. The battle for the drivers’ championship remains incredibly intense, and all five drivers in our team still have a chance of becoming champion.

We are a team that believes in letting our drivers compete on equal terms and decide the outcome on the stages. To everyone in the team, for the remaining two rallies, please continue to provide the drivers with cars that allow them to push to the absolute limit with confidence.

For the final two rounds, good luck to Elfyn, Sami, Oliver, Seb, and Takamoto. Give it everything you've got!”

Juha Kankkunen (Deputy Team Principal)
“It’s a fantastic feeling to secure another manufacturers’ championship with this team. I was involved in some of Lancia’s championships as a driver, and some of the first titles won by Toyota, but I’m so happy to be part of this team now too. The atmosphere in the team and the way that everyone works together is fantastic, also with our drivers: when they are on the stages they are fighting each other hard and pushing for the best results, but they also get on and help each other and the team very well. This victory is very good for Oliver after a difficult period; we always knew that the talent was there and now he put a great rally together. Elfyn was very unfortunate today after a really good drive, but it will keep the drivers’ championship interesting with Sami and Oliver also up there in contention.”

Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“I want to say a huge congratulations to everyone in the team and thank you for their efforts this year: it’s a privilege to be part of this team and to have now won these six straight titles together. We were having a pretty solid rally here with a good start in the rain on Friday and after that we tried to keep fighting as best as we could even if we dropped away from Oliver, who did a great job. I had a good feeling in the car today and was pleased with how the first two stages went, but then we got this puncture without warning in the penultimate stage. It was very costly in terms of points but we took what we could from the Power Stage and we just have to keep pushing in what’s now a full three-way fight in the championship.”

Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 1)
“Congratulations to the whole team: one more time we are world champions altogether! Hats off to everybody at the factory and every single member of our team because winning so many years in a row is a special achievement and it’s never easy. Nobody in the team takes anything for granted and we are always trying to improve, which is the mentality I’ve always tried to have in my career, and it has been great fun driving this car. This weekend after the time we lost in the first stage it was a big fight to try and come back towards the top positions. We couldn’t quite get the win – congratulations to Oliver and Elliott who did a great job – but it’s still a podium so we have many reasons to smile.”

Oliver Solberg (Driver car 99)
“It was always my dream to drive for Toyota and for me to be able to play a small part for the first time in winning a manufacturers’ title feels very special. It also feels incredible to be back on the top step of the podium. It has been an up-and-down season for me but the team always supported and believed in me, along with Elliott who’s been doing an amazing job, and things have really been coming together well in the last few rallies. Today it was tricky to find the right feeling on this demanding first stage, but we were able to keep a good gap and then push on the Power Stage. It’s great to also come back a bit in the championship and hopefully we can carry this momentum into the final rallies.”

Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)
“I’m very proud to be part of this team and of another manufacturers’ title. At least in the two rallies this year when the team needed me to score manufacturers’ points, in Sweden and Croatia, I could achieve good results so I’m proud to feel like I could contribute as well. But this title is mainly because every single person in the team is working so hard and pushing all the time. Thank you to them for that and for supporting me in the more difficult moments. I had a difficult start to this weekend but at least I could come back strongly and take two points from the Power Stage. A big thank you to James who did an amazing job, and to Aaron who was also helping us remotely.”

Sami Pajari (Driver car 5)
“This was a tricky rally for us. It wasn’t the result we would have wanted and the pace was not as good as we hoped for, but today we tried to maximise what we could and we were able to gain a few important points. In the end we didn’t lose anything because Elfyn was unfortunate today, and the championship fight is getting really interesting with Oliver doing a very good job here and scoring lots of points. Congratulations to everyone in the team for securing this manufacturers’ championship. Even if we have been scoring points for TGR-WRT2 instead, it’s nice to be part of this family and I’m super happy for everyone involved.”

Yuki Yamamoto (Driver WRC Challenge Program GEN2)
“We had a tricky start to this rally with a half-spin in the muddy conditions of the first stage, but after that our pace was good and we could climb up the order. Unfortunately we got caught out in the last stage of Friday in a very tricky place; a fast, narrow and twisty section with a blind crest. I jumped a bit too far to the left over the crest and we landed into the bank, which bounced us across the road with a heavy impact. Thank you to everyone who took care of us and sent us messages. I’m very happy that Topi’s surgery went well and that he should return home in the coming days. This was an unfortunate finish to this South American trip and I can only say sorry to the team, thank everyone for their support and look to come back stronger.”

PROVISIONAL FINAL CLASSIFICATION, RALLY CHILE
1 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) 2h57m08.2s
2 Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +16.6s
3 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +33.3s
4 Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +1m33.9s
5 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +2m22.3s
6 Esapekka Lappi/Enni Mälkönen (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +5m07.0s
7 Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) +7m31.5s
8 Yohan Rossel/Arnaud Dunand (Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale) +9m31.0s
9 Robert Virves/Jakko Viilo (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +10m24.0s
10 Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +10m58.2s
36 Takamoto Katsuta/James Fulton (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +1h02m18.2s
(Results as of 15:00 on Sunday, for the latest results please visit www.wrc.com)
 

WRC2 class
1 Yohan Rossel/Arnaud Dunand (Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale) 3h06m39.2s
2 Robert Virves/Jakko Viilo (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +53.0s
3 Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +1m27.2s
4 Taylor Gill/Daniel Brkic (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1m50.2s
5 Jorge Martínez/Rubén García (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +4m17.1s
6 Diego Domínguez/Rogelio Peñate (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +4m24.2s
Retired Yuki Yamamoto/Topi Luhtinen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)
 

2026 FIA World Rally Championship for drivers after round 12:
1 Elfyn Evans 230 points
2 Sami Pajari 213
3 Oliver Solberg 209
4 Sébastien Ogier 171
5 Adrien Fourmaux 167
6 Takamoto Katsuta 163
7 Thierry Neuville 129
8 Hayden Paddon 38
9 Josh McErlean 35
10 Esapekka Lappi 33

2026 FIA World Rally Championship for manufacturers after round 12:
1 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team 614 points
2 Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team 410
3 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT2 227
4 M-Sport Ford World Rally Team 152

What's next? 
Rally Italia Sardegna takes place on October 1-4, switching to an autumn date for the first time since 2020. The demanding island event features fast but narrow gravel stages and a rocky, abrasive surface.

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Saturday was the longest day of the rally, featuring 139.2 competitive kilometres across two loops of three familiar stages to the south of Concepción across the Biobío River and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. These roads are known for being more abrasive and punishing for tyres, and teams were allowed to provide crews with up to two additional tyres in exchange for two used ones before the third stage of each loop – María las Cruces – the longest of the rally at 28.31 km.

Solberg started the day with a lead of 10.1s over team-mate Elfyn Evans, and although he saw his advantage reduced in the first two stages, a stage win in María las Cruces meant the gap upon returning to mid-day service in Concepción was exactly what it had been at the beginning of the morning.

By the time Solberg repeated the feat by winning the second pass of María las Cruces at the end of the day, he had almost doubled his lead to 19.1s.

Championship leader Evans still had a strong afternoon, going second fastest in the final stage to fend off a charging Sébastien Ogier by 1.3s at the end of the day. Ogier had won the first two stages of the morning as he moved ahead of Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai) for third, only for Fourmaux to take the place back in María las Cruces. In the afternoon, Ogier was again quickest in the first two stages before a stronger second pass through María las Cruces created a margin of 10.7s to Fourmaux.

Sami Pajari continues to run in fifth overall after a solid and consistent day, while Takamoto Katsuta was frequently inside the top six stage times despite running first on the loose gravel roads as he restarted following his first day retirement.

Following their accident in Friday’s final stage and subsequent medical examinations, TGR WRC Challenge Program driver Yuki Yamamoto was released without injury. Co-driver Topi Luhtinen sustained two fractured vertebrae and a broken sternum and underwent successful surgery on Saturday. The team wishes him a full and fast recovery.

Quotes:
Juha Kankkunen (Deputy Team Principal)
“This was a really good day for us. It was very close between the top four guys for most of the day, but at the end we are in a stronger position than when we started this morning. All of our guys did a good job today. Oliver could respond to the pressure from Elfyn this morning and ultimately extend his lead, and Elfyn also drove really well this afternoon to stay ahead of Seb, who was really fast today. Sami has been maybe missing a little bit here but is still driving smart, and we are very happy to see Taka setting good times today even though he was first on the road.”

Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“It’s been quite an OK day for us, but I feel it could have been better. It was a clean day but we were perhaps not quite on the edge enough to keep Oliver honest and keep the gap where we might have wanted it to be tonight. In some stages our rhythm was not the best or we were perhaps too cautious in how we were managing the tyres on these abrasive stages. We just need to keep fighting and try to take as many points as we can from the final day like always.”

Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 1)
“Overall I have to be happy with my day. We gave everything and we managed to win both passes of the first two stages. The last stage was the driest and loosest and after a couple of retirements ahead we didn’t have enough cars in front of us to make a clean enough line. I think we maximised our tyre choices by being a bit more aggressive, and I enjoyed the driving today, it was good fun. We’re still in a fight for these podium places; tomorrow is a long day and we will keep pushing.”

Oliver Solberg (Driver car 99)
“It’s been a great day. I think we’ve found a good balance so far this weekend between risk and reward and taking care of the tyres and choosing when we need to push. I was maybe a little bit careful in the first two stages this morning, but could take the time back in the third one, and this afternoon I’m glad we could extend our gap. Tomorrow will still be a tricky day. We just need to prepare well, do a good job and try to have the best Sunday that we can.”

Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)
“Thanks to the team for getting us back on the road today and for their support and advice after what happened yesterday. The main focus is just getting the feeling back with the driving. It’s not easy to be the first car on the road and cleaning the gravel, but I think our times were quite OK today. There’s still some room to improve and find a better feeling, but so far so good and we try to continue like this tomorrow.”

Sami Pajari (Driver car 5)
“This was quite a tricky day for us. Our target was to try and catch the guys in front and the gap was only a few seconds this morning, but for some reason we just didn’t have the pace for that this time. It’s unfortunate but that’s the way it goes sometimes in this sport. We need to try to understand why we’re losing time, and otherwise just keep pushing tomorrow and hope that we can take some good points.”

End of day two (Saturday):
1 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) 2h17m09.5s
2 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +19.1s
3 Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +20.4s
4 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +31.1s
5 Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +1m15.5s
6 Esapekka Lappi/Enni Mälkönen (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +4m10.1s
7 Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) +5m18.2s
8 Yohan Rossel/Arnaud Dunand (Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale) +6m54.6s
9 Robert Virves/Jakko Viilo (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +7m52.6s
10 Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +8m20.7s
38 Takamoto Katsuta/James Fulton (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +1h01m40.8s
(Results as of 20:00 on Saturday, for the latest results please visit www.wrc.com)

What's next?
The final day’s action takes place in a similar region to Saturday’s, where two stages will be run twice to form 71.2 competitive kilometres. The Carampangue test is almost entirely new to the WRC and is followed by Biobío – the second pass of which serves as the rally-ending Power Stage. Although there is no service between the two loops, another tyre exchange will be permitted.

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The second leg of the FIA World Rally Championship’s South American adventure started on dry and dusty roads in Thursday’s pre-event shakedown, but overnight rain fell as forecast on the narrow and technical forest tracks and farmland roads that formed Friday’s three repeated stages.

Now without the usual disadvantage of sweeping loose gravel running first on the road, championship leader Evans capitalised during the morning loop together with Solberg. The pair took a stage win each and twice traded the lead before Solberg finished the morning with an advantage of 2.3 seconds. As conditions dried out in the afternoon and Evans encountered more loose gravel, the gap grew to 10.1s once Solberg had won the day’s final stage.

Sébastien Ogier and Sami Pajari were fifth and sixth respectively after the morning but found stronger performance in the afternoon, claiming a stage win each and finishing the day fourth and fifth overall. Ogier is 1.7s behind third-placed Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai) with Pajari 2s further back.

Takamoto Katsuta ran wide in the slippery opening stage and got his car stuck on a bank and was unable to continue, but will restart tomorrow.

TGR WRC Challenge Program driver Yuki Yamamoto was running as high as sixth place in WRC2 on his first Rally Chile appearance until an accident in SS6. He and co-driver Topi Luhtinen have been transported to hospital for further medical examinations.

Quotes:
Juha Kankkunen (Deputy Team Principal)
“It has been a good start to the rally for us overall. We were happy to see that the rain that was in the forecast did indeed arrive last night and that’s probably helped us a bit with most of our cars running at the front of the road. Oliver and Elfyn both drove very well in the slippery conditions this morning, and continued in that way this afternoon even as it was drying out a bit. Seb and Sami lost a bit of time this morning, but they were much stronger in the afternoon and are in a good fight with Fourmaux. Taka was a bit unfortunate to get stuck this morning, but the car is good to restart tomorrow.”

Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“For us it was nice to see the rain come overnight, even though it made the conditions quite tricky for everyone to start with this morning. The grip levels were changing quite a bit, so I was happy to get through without issues and also benefit a little bit from not having to sweep the road. We had drier conditions this afternoon; the grip was more consistent in a way and the feeling was OK, but we were maybe not quite as fast as we would have liked. Anyway, second is a decent position to be in overnight and gives us a good road postion for tomorrow, so we have to take the positives from today and try to keep fighting forward tomorrow.”

Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 1)
“For us the rain was maybe not ideal given our start position a bit further back, but it’s also a deserved break for the championship leaders not to always be cleaning the road. We struggled in the first stage for grip and confidence with the balance of the car, and that’s where we lost most of our time today, but after that I think we reacted well and had a better rhythm over the rest of the day. Tomorrow has a different style of stage with some different challenges and there’s still a lot to play for, so we’ll keep trying.”

Oliver Solberg (Driver car 99)
“I’m very happy with my day. It helped us in our position relatively early on the road to get that rain; I think it made things more equal and I always enjoy those kinds of conditions. It was very tricky and changing all the time, and we just tried to have a good flow and I think we did quite a good job. There was no point to take big risks and I was just trying to drive efficiently. It was similar this afternoon even as the conditions dried out; I just tried to keep it clean and steady. It’s nice to have a good, clean Friday behind us. Strategy will be important tomorrow, but I feel good and I’m looking forward to it.”

Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)
“After the rain overnight, the roads were quite muddy in places this morning and the grip levels were changing a lot along with the different gravel types. Unfortunately, in one downhill corner which was quite muddy, I just wasn’t able to slow down enough and we went wide to the outside and got stuck on the bank. The car was not really damaged, but we weren’t able to get back on the road and continue in the stage. It’s not an easy moment, but I will just try to focus on coming back stronger.”

Sami Pajari (Driver car 5)
“It was quite a tricky morning for us. Clearly, the conditions were tricky and slippery but others around us made better use of them in the first stage especially and somehow our pace was not the best. It was getting better stage-by-stage during the morning, and then the afternoon was clearly better again for us. I was enjoying the driving and managed to take a stage win, so we were back on the level where we want to be. We’re only three seconds away from the podium positions and there’s still a very long rally ahead, so anything can happen and we just need to keep pushing.”

End of day one (Friday):
1 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) 52m42.1s
2 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +10.1s
3 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +18.0s
4 Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +19.7s
5 Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +21.7s
6 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +27.4s
7 Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) +1m54.5s
8 Jon Armstrong/Shane Byrne (Ford Puma Rally1) +1m56.9s
9 Esapekka Lappi/Enni Mälkönen (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +2m06.0s
10 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale) +3m08.7s
TBC Takamoto Katsuta/James Fulton (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1)
(Results as of 17:30 on Friday, for the latest results please visit www.wrc.com)

What's next?
Saturday is the longest day of the rally, with 139.2 km to be driven across two loops of three familiar stages to the south of Concepción across the Biobío River and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Compared to Friday, these stages are typically wider and more abrasive.

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BRUSSELS, Belgium / TURIN, Italy, 10 September 2026 – Toyota and IVECO announce a new collaboration under EMPOWER – the EU-funded Horizon Europe project dedicated to advancing zero-emission heavy-duty transport – marking a significant milestone in the development of next-generation fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) for the heavy-duty transport sector.

Under the EMPOWER project, Toyota will provide the fuel cell system for IVECO's new-generation FCEVs. Leveraging the complementary strengths of the two companies, Toyota contributes its most advanced fuel cell technology, built on more than three decades of innovation, development and commercialization across mobility and industrial applications. IVECO leads the overall vehicle development, integration and validation activities, drawing on its pioneering role in sustainable transport and the experience gained through landmark hydrogen projects and real-world demonstrations.

The new FCEVs represent a major technological leap, delivering significant improvements across key performance indicators compared with IVECO's first-generation fuel cell trucks deployed as part of the H2Haul project. Building on the valuable operational insights gained through this programme, the new vehicle advances the maturity, efficiency and scalability of hydrogen-powered solutions.

Powered by Toyota fuel cell systems with a total output of 300 kW, the IVECO S-eWay Fuel Cell combines increased performance with improved efficiency, extending driving range beyond 900 km while significantly enhancing durability to more than 25,000 operating hours. In parallel, vehicle weight has been reduced, and the overall architecture has been simplified through a more efficient energy management strategy, requiring only half the battery capacity of the previous generation.

Together, these improvements bring fuel cell technology closer to the operational, economic and durability requirements of large-scale commercial transport. These advancements are aligned with the latest progress in Toyota fuel cell technology, which is increasingly focused on meeting the demanding requirements of commercial vehicle applications through higher reliability, improved efficiency and extended operational life.

Validation and testing activities are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year. The project aims to demonstrate the technology under demanding real-world operating conditions, with on-road trials planned to start in the first half of 2027. The insights gained from these activities will contribute to the development of commercially viable hydrogen-powered solutions for long-haul and heavy-duty transport applications, serving as a pilot platform for a future industrial scale-up.

About IVECO

IVECO is a brand of Iveco Group designing, manufacturing and marketing a full range of light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles for a wide variety of applications.

Guided by its “Spirito in Movimento”, IVECO is evolving from a vehicle manufacturer into a true mobility partner, placing quality, customer experience and a human-centric approach to innovation at the core of everything it does. This vision is brought to life through three pillars: Motion by Design, expressing engineering excellence and distinctive Italian design; Motion through Experience, enabling a seamless and connected ecosystem of vehicles and services; and Motion as Family, reflecting IVECO’s commitment to staying close to customers, drivers and partners throughout their journey.

With a global network of over 2,300 service points, IVECO ensures consistent support, high service quality and uptime wherever its vehicles operate, standing by its customers and drivers at every step of their journey.

Rooted in its Italian heritage, IVECO combines engineering excellence with design, performance and attention to detail, shaping mobility solutions that are efficient, distinctive and built around people.

SÖDERTÄLJE, Sweden / BRUSSELS, Belgium, 7 September 2026 - Toyota and Scania today announced a partnership to advance hydrogen fuel cell solutions for heavy-duty mobility through real-world logistics operations.

In this collaboration, Toyota will supply fuel cell systems for 40 heavy-duty vehicles within Scania’s Pilot Partner programme. The programme brings Scania together with selected customers to evaluate a wide range of sustainable transport technologies, including hydrogen fuel cell system, under real operating conditions. As zero-emissions heavy-duty fuel cell applications continue to expand, this initiative is expected to deliver confirmation of technical performance, operational efficiency and total cost of ownership. By integrating Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell technology into this framework, the partnership will evaluate how fuel cell electric trucks can support demanding heavy-duty transport operations.

The vehicles will be equipped with Toyota’s latest third-generation fuel cell system, which delivers 300 kW of power in a highly compact design for heavy-duty applications and a wide range of other use cases.

The first Scania hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks will start operating during the first quarter of 2027.

Toyota will share more information at its IAA Transportation press conference on 14 September.

About Scania
Scania is a world-leading provider of premium transport solutions. Together with our partners and customers, we are driving the shift towards a sustainable transport system. Founded in Sweden in 1891, Scania now operates in more than 100 countries and employs around 53,000 people.
Scania Pilot Partner is a close collaboration with customers to test and evaluate new sustainable transport solutions in real operating environments. Each pilot project provides valuable insights into how the technology performs in daily customer operations, including operational efficiency and total cost of ownership across applications from city distribution to long-haul transport.

Brave overtaking, bold strategy and strong teamwork saw Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries comfortably lead the race, when a hydraulic issue forced the #7 TR010 HYBRID into retirement with just 11 minutes to go.

Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa fought for much of the race for a podium in their #8 TR010 HYBRID before suffering their own misfortune, prior to an exciting fightback which earned sixth.

Despite missing out on a better result, TOYOTA RACING nevertheless extended its lead in the manufacturers’ World Championship to nine points. The #7 crew remains tied on points at the top of the drivers’ standings with three races remaining, while the #8 crew has closed to within 11 points.

From seventh and ninth on the grid, Nyck and Sébastien moved into the top six in the early laps before adopting different fuel strategies. The #8 made its first pit stop early to gain time on a clear track, and both ran in the top three in the first two hours.

A safety car at the midway point reset the strategies and reduced the gaps. After the restart, Nyck made three bold overtakes into turn one to battle into the lead. Kamui took over and held the lead under pressure from the two Alpines approaching the last hour.

The #8 was a strong podium contender and Ryō ran third with 90 minutes remaining, until a drive-through penalty for pit lane speeding dropped him to seventh. Further misfortune was created by a virtual safety car (VSC) soon after. Having taken a fuel stop under racing conditions moments earlier, the #8 dropped to 14th when its rivals gained time by pitting under the VSC.

A safety car automatically followed and, when the race resumed with 45 minutes to go, Nyck set new fastest laps to build a gap at the front. He was within touching distance of victory when a hydraulic issue affected his power steering and forced the #7 into the garage with just 11 minutes to go.

Sébastien recovered some points for the team with a determined final stint. He delivered an overtaking masterclass, passing multiple rivals to move back into the points and finish sixth.

TOYOTA RACING will aim to bounce back from the disappointment at its home race in three weeks. The 6 Hours of Fuji takes place on 27 September.

Quotes:

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7): “It was a very unfortunate race for us. We had been strong all the way through. For almost six hours we had a great race. Obviously when you lose the hydraulics, there is nothing you can do. We had to retire the car. It was a big opportunity for us to score a lot of points, so obviously it’s tough to take. But this is endurance racing. We need to learn and improve so we can come back stronger for our home race.”

Mike Conway (Driver, car #7): “That was not the way we envisioned the end of the race. Everything was looking good until those last few minutes. We’re all gutted because everyone did a great job and I think we deserved the win. Luckily our competition for the World Championship didn't score well either, so that's the only small consolation.”

Nyck de Vries (Driver, car #7): “Obviously that was a very sad end to a great day. We really gave it our all and the team executed extremely well. We had a great car, with strong pace and we were in a perfect position going into the last few minutes. Unfortunately, this is a technical sport and that let us down today.”

Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8): “It was a really sad day for us because the speed was there. We did the best we could in the end and salvaged a few points, but it's really a big opportunity missed. The positive thing is that the car was very fast, but it's always frustrating when you lose a good result like that. We'll work hard and hopefully have a better race in Fuji.”

Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8): “That was a brutal finish for the team. We definitely had the pace to have two cars on the podium today, so it hurts to give it away. Séb did a great last stint to bring our car back to sixth but I’m massively disappointed for the team that car #7 had the issue when it was in a dominant position to take the victory.”

Ryō Hirakawa (Driver, car #8): “We had the pace, but it wasn’t our day. Unfortunately, when I got in the car for my stint, there was a system issue which cost time to pull away, then caused an over-speed in the pit lane so we got a drive-through. I feel really sorry for what happened to car #7. This was not our race, but also, we need to work hard to improve so we don’t experience this again. The next race is Fuji, where we want to be back on the podium.”

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An intense engineering effort throughout free practice helped both TR010 HYBRIDs maximise their performance in qualifying and Hyperpole. This delivered a solid foundation for TOYOTA RACING to extend its advantage in the manufacturers’ World Championship and fight for a first win in Austin.

Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa will start from seventh on the grid in the #8 TR010 HYBRID. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, who are tied on points at the top of the drivers’ standings, were ninth in their #7 TR010 HYBRID.

Qualifying took place in the hottest conditions of the event so far, with temperatures hitting 38°C. The competition on track soon heated up as well.

With low fuel and on new medium Michelin tyres, Ryō left the pits immediately when the 12-minute qualifying began, while Kamui waited a few minutes to begin. The two TR010 HYBRIDs set best times just 0.058secs apart to reach Hyperpole, with Ryō in eighth and Kamui ninth.

In Hyperpole, the TR010 HYBRIDs bided their time in the pits before heading on track. An intense session saw Kamui earn ninth place with his only flying lap, while Ryō completed two flying laps, improving slightly on his second to move up to seventh.

With hot conditions likely to continue for Sunday’s race, the team’s engineers and drivers will now work to optimise strategies for the demanding COTA track, which exposes tyres to the highest energy levels of the whole WEC season. The race begins at 1pm local time (8pm CEST).

Quotes:

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7): “We wanted a bit more, but I think we are still in a good position for the race. We have higher expectations for tomorrow, when I think the heat here in Austin could help us. There were a lot of true racing fans here and I am sure even more will be here tomorrow, so we’re all looking forward to an exciting race. Hopefully we will finish it with smiles on our faces.”

Ryō Hirakawa (Driver, car #8): “It was really hot out there, really difficult conditions. The temperature was much higher than this morning, and the tyres were overheating. I had to adjust many things, but the team did a good job. We expected qualifying to be a bit tricky, but seventh and ninth is not bad. I think we have strong race pace, so hopefully we fight for another win tomorrow.”

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The team leads the manufacturers’ World Championship going into round five of the season, when it aims for its first victory at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa ended the opening day 12th fastest in their #8 TR010 HYBRID, 1.091secs behind the pace-setting Aston Martin, although the final standings did not reflect the progress made during two encouraging practice sessions on Friday.

Le Mans winners Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, who are tied on points at the top of the drivers’ standings, were 15th in their #7 TR010 HYBRID.

First practice began late in the morning, with temperatures already hitting 30°C. The team built on the set-up work done during its July test at COTA by focusing on control settings and mechanical adjustments. The session, which was briefly interrupted by a full-course yellow, ended with both TR010 HYBRIDs in the top six. Nyck and Ryō set the fastest laps of the session for their respective cars.

Conditions were even hotter for second practice. However, action was delayed by a red flag in the opening moments before both cars could continue a programme of race preparation. This included further analysis of the Michelin tyres, which experience the highest energy levels of the season at COTA. A productive session saw Kamui and Ryō recorded the best laps for their cars.

With data from two busy sessions to analyse, the team’s engineers will work hard to find improvements for performance and balance before Saturday morning’s third practice, the final preparation before qualifying at 3.40pm local time (10.40pm CEST).

Visitors to the track can meet some of TOYOTA RACING’s drivers later in the day, during an autograph session at 5pm in the fan zone. Sunday’s six-hour race starts at 1pm (8pm CEST).

Quotes:

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7): “We’re happy to be back here in Austin, although it’s not long since we were here for our test. It’s quite hot in the car, as expected, but we are well prepared for this and ready for the challenge. After the first two free practice sessions, we need to work on a few things, but it’s been a decent start. Hopefully we can pull off a good qualifying tomorrow and prepare well for the race.”

Mike Conway (Driver, car #7): “It’s good to be back on track, particularly here in Austin. The car felt pretty good. We worked hard to prepare for the race with some long runs in both sessions. We’ll look at the set-up options to work out where we need to be. Hopefully we can get it right overnight and then we’ll be in strong shape tomorrow.”

Nyck de Vries (Driver, car #7): “We obviously benefited from a test here at the end of July, which definitely helped us get a head start and hit the ground running. We need to just focus on ourselves and preparing for qualifying and the race. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going and be competitive when it matters in the race.”

Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8): “It’s been a good day overall. Our performance has clearly made a good step compared to Brazil. We spent a lot of time doing long runs and it looks like we have a decent base. It's going to be important to obviously do a good job and make no mistakes. All in all, I’m quite happy with how things went and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8): “It was a pretty smooth day and we’re all quite happy with the car. It looks like one lap pace is a bit tricky, but on the long runs we seem to be in the mix and more competitive than São Paulo. Now we're trying to find some extra performance overnight to ensure we're in a good position to fight at the front on Sunday.”

Ryō Hirakawa (Driver, car #8): “The track was cooler than when we tested so there were some new things to explore. Our focus was to prepare for the race, so we worked to assess the tyres and balance. So far, the car feels good. Qualifying is going to be a bit tight, but I think we have a good base for the race. I feel more positive about our race pace.”

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Following a demanding Rally del Paraguay last week, the team’s five GR YARIS Rally1 cars have been rebuilt and transported across the Andes mountains in readiness for round 12 of 14 in the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship.

While Sami Pajari completed a historic hat-trick of victories in Paraguay, TGR-WRT took another step towards securing the manufacturers’ championship. With a lead of 173 points and just 180 left up for grabs, the team can guarantee the title in Chile if it scores at least seven points.

Meanwhile, the team’s contenders continue an exciting battle over the drivers’ crown with three rounds remaining. Championship leader Elfyn Evans has 20 points in hand over his closest rival Pajari after the latter’s three consecutive wins. Oliver Solberg is the next closest challenger in third, 41 points from the lead, with Takamoto Katsuta a further 15 points back in fourth. Nine-time world champion Sébastien Ogier, 68 points from the lead, will target a repeat of his 2025 win in Chile.

Katsuta will compete in Chile alongside James Fulton, who will stand in for regular co-driver Aaron Johnston. Following further examinations upon returning home after a high-speed accident on the final day in Paraguay, Johnston was found to have sustained a fracture to his collarbone, and will miss Rally Chile to allow more time to recover before returning to competition. The team wishes Johnston a speedy recovery and looks forward to welcoming him back to action soon.

With Fulton stepping up to partner Katsuta, TGR WRC Challenge Program driver Yuki Yamamoto will be joined by Topi Luhtinen for Chile as he continues his maiden South American adventure in WRC2.

Yamamoto drives one of eight GR Yaris Rally2 cars on the entry list: Diego Domínguez and Gus Greensmith, who finished first and second in the class in Paraguay, are joined by fellow series regulars Alejandro Cachón, Andrea Lafarja and Adrien Mosca, while Chilean brothers Alberto and Pedro Heller have made the switch to the GR Yaris Rally2 for this edition of their home event.

This will be the WRC’s fifth visit to Chile and the gravel roads in the forests of the Biobío region surrounding the Pacific port city of Concepción, located about 500 kilometres to the south of capital city Santiago. The stages combine fast and technical sections with a mix of smooth and abrasive surfaces, while rain and fog can create challenging conditions.

The rally route has been significantly revised for 2026 with around 40 per cent of the 311.18 competitive kilometres being new to the WRC. After shakedown and a ceremonial start in Concepción on Thursday, the opening leg on Friday consists of three heavily reworked stages to the south-east each run twice either side of mid-day service. Saturday is the longest day of the rally offering 139.2 km across two loops of three familiar stages to the south of Concepción across the Biobío River. Sunday takes place in a similar area where the new Carampangue is paired with the returning Biobío Power Stage.

Quotes:
Juha Kankkunen (Deputy Team Principal)
“After an eventful rally in Paraguay, we’re looking forward to continuing this South American adventure in Chile. Our team has been hard at work this week to rebuild the cars so that they are like new again for Chile. On paper, Chile can be a more straightforward rally with fast and flowing roads that the drivers enjoy, but we know that the weather there can still bring some surprises. The manufacturers’ title is close now and we have pretty strong chances to secure that, while the drivers’ championship is getting more exciting as we near the end of the season and we will keep giving all our crews the same chances to win.”

Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“After Paraguay we know that we can look forward to a similarly warm welcome from the fans in Chile. The rally is generally quite a fast one with flowing stages that are usually good to drive, but the challenge depends a lot on the weather which can change quite dramatically during the weekend. When it’s dry, the surface can be very loose for the early cars and it can also get extremely abrasive to the point that you really have to consider tyre management carefully. When it’s wet, it can get pretty muddy, similar to what you might find in Wales, and the fog can also make things extremely difficult.”

Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 1)
“Paraguay was a tough event, as it was for most, and now we just need to look forward to Chile. It’s a rally where the conditions can hopefully be more consistent and it can be a fair fight between everyone, even if we know that the weather can also change quite quickly there. It’s another event that we have great memories of winning last year, and we will of course be trying to repeat that this time. The roads are pretty good fun to drive and the atmosphere is always nice, so it should be an enjoyable one.”

Oliver Solberg (Driver car 99)
“Rally Chile should be another fantastic South American experience. The rally culture is really big there with a lot of passion, and there’s some great stages. They can seem pretty straightforward but the character varies quite a lot: Friday has normally been quite narrow and cambered, a bit like New Zealand, and then the other days are a bit wider, more like Wales – and it can get pretty muddy when it rains. The road can also evolve a lot from first to second pass and become really abrasive for the tyres. I have good memories from Chile last year when we won both the rally and the title in WRC2, and we’ll try our best for another good result now in Rally1.”

Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)
“Like in Paraguay, the fans in Chile have always been really excited for the rally and supporting us as drivers. The stages can be quite tricky. Some of the roads – particularly those we’ve driven on Friday in recent years – are quite cambered and narrow and there’s not so much margin. If they stay dry, the roads can get abrasive so you need to manage the tyres, especially on the second pass, but the weather can also make things difficult if there’s low cloud or fog. I want to wish Aaron a speedy recovery and I’m grateful to James and to the team for their support and making it possible for us to drive together in Chile.”

Sami Pajari (Driver car 5)
“We have been on a really nice run lately and I hope Rally Chile can be good for us as well. It is a rally I know quite well now, as I’ve done it twice already in the Rally1 car, and it’s one of my favourites because of the profile of the stages. Some of them are pretty similar to Finland: really fast and flowing with some really nice camber that helps you take more speed through the corners. It can also be pretty challenging, with high tyre wear, and the weather can change really quickly. Like in Paraguay, the fans are very passionate and I’m looking forward to it.”

Yuki Yamamoto (Driver WRC Challenge Program GEN2)
“I’m looking forward to continuing this South American adventure in Chile. Paraguay was a very challenging rally, but it was nice to finish it with some good pace and a good feeling which we can carry forward to Chile. This will be another new rally for me, and I know that the character of the stages will be different again to Paraguay, but it looks like they can be quite nice and flowing to drive, and maybe a bit more like those in Finland that I’m familiar with. I’ll try to take what we learned from Paraguay and do my best.”

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Since its introduction, Toyota’s style-conscious crossover has captivated customers with a unique combination of bold design, emotional appeal, driving enjoyment and efficient electrified powertrains.

The motorsport-inspired GR SPORT version gains new Onyx Grey matte colour and 20-inch wheels

The Toyota C-HR GR SPORT draws inspiration from Toyota’s World Championship-winning motorsport teams, with dedicated design and chassis features that complement the new colour and wheel updates.

A head-up display is fitted as standard, while a panoramic roof, bi-tone+ colouring and a premium JBL sound system are available as options.

Customers have a choice of powertrains: a 1.8-litre hybrid system with 140 DIN hp, a 2.0-litre hybrid system with 180 DIN hp, and a 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid option delivering 223 DIN hp.

The GR SPORT benefits from Frequency Selective Control (FSC) shock absorbers, which automatically adapt damping performance to optimise both handling and ride comfort across a wide range of road conditions. A dynamic damper on the front strut reduces road noise and vibration.

Expressing a functional beauty, the new Onyx Grey matte colour further enhances the Toyota C-HR’s bold, edgy appearance and contributes to an emotive and attention-grabbing new look for the GR SPORT grade. The new colour emphasises the Toyota C-HR’s sharp-edged design, reminiscent of a sports coupe’s dynamic lines. Onyx Grey matte is available exclusively on the GR SPORT in the striking bi-tone+ execution, which combines the new colour with contrasting black across the roof and rear body panels.

An updated appearance is completed by new 20-inch wheels with a matte grey finish, developed exclusively for the GR SPORT grade.

A concept car for the road

Beyond the latest GR SPORT updates, the Toyota C-HR continues to embody its original vision as a ‘concept car for the road’. The latest generation is built on four key pillars: sensual exterior style, a personalised user experience, environmental leadership, and agile and responsive performance.

Strengthening its connection to European customers, the second-generation Toyota C-HR, which was launched in 2023, benefits from local design, engineering and production.

A high level of sophisticated design execution includes premium features such as the Toyota-first flush door handles, dynamic 64-colour interior ambient lighting and shade-less panoramic roof. These features complement an intuitive digital cockpit to create a holistic and personalised user experience which puts the customer at the heart of the vehicle.

A range of hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid electric powertrains use Toyota’s latest technology for more power and torque, delivering an enjoyable and efficient driving experience. These efficient powertrains contribute to Toyota’s multi-pathway approach towards carbon neutrality, which aims to provide a choice of sustainable options, regardless of location or individual circumstances.

The plug-in hybrid Toyota C-HR showcases a ‘best of both worlds’ DNA which combines the range for all-electric daily driving with the dependability of hybrid technology for stress-free longer trips. It boasts an equivalent all-electric range (EAER) of around 100 km in city and urban areas, or up to 66 km in the combined WLTP cycle.

The Toyota C-HR was the first Toyota model to feature the geo-fencing function as part of its Predictive Efficient Drive system, which combines smart technology to maximise battery charge and range. Geo-fencing ensures sufficient EV range to navigate upcoming LEZ or BEV-mandatory zones by intelligently switching between hybrid and electric modes.

In addition to efficient hybrid and plug-in hybrid technologies, the Toyota C-HR’s environmental impact is further reduced by the use of recycled and animal-free materials, as well as advanced technologies to reduce vehicle weight and cut CO2 emissions during production.

2027 Toyota C-HR line-up

For 2027, the Toyota C-HR line-up has been streamlined to consist of the Mid, Mid+, High and GR SPORT variants. The 2027 Toyota C-HR range is available to order now.

Leading companies from the transport, energy and industrial sectors, together with German policymakers, are collaborating to establish a benchmark for a fully integrated hydrogen mobility ecosystem for heavy-duty transport. They reflect a shared ambition to scale hydrogen with a focus on customer-oriented refueling infrastructure and competitively priced hydrogen fuel.

Delivering a comprehensive hydrogen ecosystem that complements battery-electric solutions requires coordinated developments across the entire value chain with focus on commercializing competitive vehicles, deploying strategically located refueling infrastructure aligned with customer needs, and ensuring reliable access to hydrogen at viable price levels. Together, these elements can create the conditions for a competitive total cost of ownership and position hydrogen as a practical, scalable solution for zero-emission transport.

Further details will be announced on September 15 at IAA Transportation 2026.

The young Finnish star and his co-driver Marko Salminen have achieved something nobody ever has before by recording their first three wins in consecutive rounds of the WRC.

While recent victories on fast roads in Estonia and Finland showcased his speed, Pajari’s success in South America was built on avoiding major difficulties during a demanding second visit to Paraguayan roads by the WRC.

The many bumps and compressions and sharp rocks hidden in the clay-like surface combined with higher temperatures to test tyres as well as the cars and their drivers. A near-constant threat of heavy rain kept teams on their toes – with the GR YARIS Rally1 cars being fitted mid-rally with snorkel systems usually seen only on Safari Rally Kenya.

Pajari sat as low as seventh overall on the opening Friday morning after developing a water leak in the first stage, and having managed the issue until it could be fully fixed in mid-day service, he went on to finish the day in the lead as others encountered more significant delays. He was able to gradually open his advantage to 24.1 seconds during Saturday and ultimately secured victory by 25.8s.

Elfyn Evans also drove a typically well-managed rally together with co-driver Scott Martin to finish fourth overall and ensure they continue to lead the championship. Evans was another driver to lead during Friday after avoiding early chaos, only to then concede around a minute with tyre damage. He ultimately finished just 5.1s shy of a podium place and picked up valuable extra points by finishing fourth in the Power Stage and fifth on Super Sunday to lead Pajari by 20 points with three rounds remaining.

Oliver Solberg was the rally’s first leader on Friday until losing four minutes with a stall and a tyre change in the third stage. He recovered to finish fifth overall with co-driver Elliott Edmondson and win the Power Stage, as well as sharing the winning time on Super Sunday with team-mate Sébastien Ogier. Running under restart rules after stopping with suspension damage on Friday, Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais came second on the Power Stage and claimed the full five points on Super Sunday courtesy of their win in the day’s first stage.

With those points, TGR-WRT’s lead in the manufacturers’ championship now stands at 173 points with 180 still available.

Also running under restart rules, Takamoto Katsuta’s rally ultimately came to an end with a high-speed accident in the penultimate stage. He and co-driver Aaron Johnston were taken to hospital for precautionary checks and released the same afternoon.

In the WRC2 category there was a first ever 1-2-3 finish for the GR Yaris Rally2 car, with Paraguayan driver Diego Domínguez achieving his maiden victory on home roads together with co-driver Rogelio Peñate and the MSi Racing Team. Gus Greensmith and Jonas Andersson were second in their RaceSeven-run car with Alejandro Galanti and Marcelo Toyotoshi third for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Paraguay.

TGR WRC Challenge Program driver Yuki Yamamoto experienced the event’s demands for the first time on his maiden rally on South American soil, restarting to gather valuable mileage after stopping on Friday following technical issues.

Quotes:
Akio Toyoda (TGR-WRT Chairman)
“To everyone on the team who competed in Rally del Paraguay, and to everyone who worked so hard to make the event happen, thank you and congratulations on getting through such a challenging rally week.

I saw the photos of the service park after it had been battered by strong winds. Rally del Paraguay is already a tough rally under normal conditions, so I am very relieved that the event was completed safely. Thank you all for your hard work.

And in the middle of all that, Sami and Marko gave us a fantastic victory. Three wins in a row after Estonia and Finland. Congratulations, Sami and Marko!

The way the two of you have been fighting back has made the championship battle even more exciting. Sami and Marko, and Elfyn and Scott as well, there are still three rallies to go. Keep pushing, enjoy the fight, and go all out for the championship. I’ll be cheering for all of you.

P.S.
Ever since last year, I have been receiving very enthusiastic invitations from people in Paraguay, asking me to come and experience Rally del Paraguay for myself.
As I am still recovering from surgery, I decided not to make the trip this year.
Some people say I have a knack for bringing good weather with me, and after hearing about the conditions during the rally week, I have to admit I found myself thinking, “Maybe I should have gone after all!”
Hopefully, I will get the chance to visit Paraguay next year.”

Juha Kankkunen (Deputy Team Principal)
“We’re very happy to see Sami achieve this incredible result by taking his first three victories in a row like this. Estonia and Finland were more familiar rallies for him but this event in Paraguay is still very new for everybody with very different challenges. The conditions were not easy, especially on Friday when there was a lot of drama happening, but Sami managed without major problems. He drove consistently without taking too much risk and did a very good job. Elfyn also drove a very smart rally even if he was a bit unlucky on Friday. Oliver and Seb both got the most out of the final day, while for Taka it has been a difficult rally but the most important thing is that he and Aaron are both fine and well. Our competition was strong here but we are another step closer to the manufacturers’ title and we’re looking forward to Chile.”

Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“This weekend started pretty well on Friday until we had the issue with the tyre in the afternoon, and after that we didn’t really settle into a good enough rhythm and were missing some pace to hold off Adrien who was really strong. We were maybe a bit too conservative after all the drama of Friday when conditions were perhaps more extreme, but it’s not easy to find the right balance between risk and reward. I can’t be completely happy with the weekend but others fared worse and we still come away with some decent points.”

Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 1)
“We had a good battle with Oliver today trying to recover as many points as we could from a tough weekend. I was happy with how our day was going up until the Power Stage, where we had a half-spin in a muddy section where I think a lot of people were struggling. Still we could take nine points from the day which isn’t bad, even if it’s not making a big difference for us in the championship anymore. We didn’t get the result we wanted here but we still had fun behind the wheel and enjoyed our time with the fans.”

Oliver Solberg (Driver car 99)
“This morning we lost a bit of time on the first stage which was getting more muddy with each car, but after that we won every stage we drove so we can be happy with that. A big thanks to the team; the mechanics have done an amazing job to keep the car running all weekend on such an incredibly rough event. I feel we were a bit unlucky with some small details on Friday which cost us time, but it’s still been a great weekend feeling so much passion and support from the fans who have really put a smile on my face.”

Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)
“The impact in this accident was quite big and that Aaron and I are both OK shows how well the cars are built to keep us safe. Thank you to the team and the FIA for the regulations and thank you also to everyone who helped us afterwards and supported us. I’m not sure exactly what happened but I lost the rear of the car, I tried to correct it and we hit a small bank on the inside that lifted the car onto two wheels. I still tried to save it but we rolled. It was my mistake and I’m sorry for the team and grateful for their ongoing support. This weekend didn’t go well but highs and lows are part of the game and I just need to come back stronger.”

Sami Pajari (Driver car 5)
“I’m really happy and it’s a very proud moment; to realise that we’ve done something that nobody ever has before is really special. A big thank you to the team once again. It was not an easy rally for the drivers or the team, so building such a reliable car is key to this success. This was a very different rally to Estonia and Finland; it was not about being flat-out all the time. We had to manage many different things and I tried to be clever with my driving. It was a really demanding rally but that just makes it even sweeter to be able to win. We’re also well in the fight for the championship. It’s still quite a few points to catch but I will just keep doing the best job that I can.”

Yuki Yamamoto (Driver WRC Challenge Program GEN2)
“This rally started difficult for me with punctures in the first two stages, which made it hard to find a rhythm. In the afternoon, the feeling and the split times were better but then we had to stop with an issue. Saturday also started pretty difficult with quite a few things happening, but in the afternoon things turned around for the better. I could drive with more of a normal feeling and everything was going smoothly. The final day was really good with no mistakes and good stage times, and it will be good to take that feeling forward to Chile.”

PROVISIONAL FINAL CLASSIFICATION, RALLY DEL PARAGUAY
1 Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) 3h13m28.5s
2 Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +25.8s
3 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +40.0s
4 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +45.1s
5 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +2m57.0s
6 Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) +4m19.0s
7 Diego Domínguez/Rogelio Peñate (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +7m40.5s
8 Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +8m03.2s
9 Alejandro Galanti/Marcelo Toyotoshi (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +10m23.0s
10 Taylor Gill/Daniel Brkic (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +10m36.9s
34 Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +1h03m41.6s
Retired Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1)
(Results as of 16:00 on Sunday, for the latest results please visit www.wrc.com)

WRC2 class
1 Diego Domínguez/Rogelio Peñate (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) 3h21m09.0s
2 Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +22.7s
3 Alejandro Galanti/Marcelo Toyotoshi (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +2m42.5s
4 Taylor Gill/Daniel Brkic (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +2m56.4s
5 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale) +4m16.3s
6 Yohan Rossel/Arnaud Dunand (Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale) +4m26.4s
14 Yuki Yamamoto/James Fulton (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +31m14.7s

2026 FIA World Rally Championship for drivers after round 11:
1 Elfyn Evans 216 points
2 Sami Pajari 196
3 Oliver Solberg 175
4 Takamoto Katsuta 160
5 Adrien Fourmaux 149
6 Sébastien Ogier 148
7 Thierry Neuville 129
8 Hayden Paddon 38
9 Josh McErlean 29
10 Esapekka Lappi 25

2026 FIA World Rally Championship for manufacturers after round 11:
1 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team 554 points
2 Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team 381
3 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT2 210
4 M-Sport Ford World Rally Team 138

What's next?
Cars will be rebuilt in Paraguay next week and transported across the Andes mountains for another South American gravel challenge at Rally Chile on September 10-13. Held in the forests of the Bio Bío region overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the stages are technical but largely fast with a mix of smooth and abrasive gravel.

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