Toyota Revives Iconic Model and Brings Back Two World Champions for WRC

Toyota has unveiled its driver line-up and two-team assault for the 2027 World Rally Championship (WRC) campaign.

The headline news is the revival of the iconic Celica nameplate, alongside the returns of two former world champions: Ott Tänak and Kalle Rovanperä.

Toyota will continue to field two separate outfits in the WRC. The primary Toyota Racing team will feature the top three drivers from the 2026 championship standings: reigning world champion Elfyn Evans and runners-up Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari. All three will pilot the new Celica Rally1, designed to the upcoming WRC27 regulations.

The second outfit, Toyota Gazoo Racing, will field Takamoto Katsuta alongside Tänak and Rovanperä. They will get behind the wheel of the new Yaris Rally1—also built to WRC27 specifications and mechanically identical to the Celica Rally1, beneath a different bodyshell.

Rovanperä is set for a part-time programme in the second team, taking part in an expected six to seven rallies. He will share the entry with nine-time world champion Sébastien Ogier, who will also make selected appearances. While neither driver's full calendar has been finalised, Ogier has already confirmed he will skip January's season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo.