Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Wins WRC Manufacturers' Title for 4 Consecutive Years

In the 2024 World Rally Championship (WRC) motorsports event, the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team secured the manufacturers' title for the fourth consecutive year. Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation Group, also congratulated the Toyota team on their victory and expressed anticipation for next year's competition.

On the 24th, Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team won the final round of the 13th event, 'Rally Japan,' the last round of the WRC season. With this final race victory, Toyota claimed the WRC manufacturers' title for the fourth consecutive year.

Another Toyota team, S?bastien Ogier and Vincent Landais, finished in 2nd place overall, while Katsuta Takamoto and Aaron Johnston completed the rally in 4th place overall.

At the 2024 WRC overall awards ceremony held on the 24th at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, the Toyota team, which won the manufacturer category, and Chairman Akio Toyoda (center in the photo) are raising the championship trophy. Photo by Toyota Joint Press Corps

In the first stage of Sunday, the 17th round, Evans recorded the second fastest time. During this stage, Ott T?nak of the Hyundai World Rally Team, who was leading, retired, confirming Thierry Neuville of Hyundai as the winner of the drivers' championship before the race ended. At the same time, Evans moved up to 1st place, Ogier, who was 3rd overall the previous day, rose to 2nd, and Katsuta, who was 5th, moved up to 4th place.

By the end of the third day, the points gap in the manufacturers' championship narrowed from 15 to 11 points, and T?nak's withdrawal intensified the championship battle. On the final day, Sunday, known as Super Sunday where only the total time counts, the final power stage ended in a tie. In the last power stage of the season, the Toyota team took the championship lead by 3 points, securing a come-from-behind victory. This marked the fourth manufacturers' title for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team and the eighth overall for Toyota.

Chairman Toyoda stated, "The 2024 WRC, fought until the last stage, was truly thrilling. I believe it holds great significance for us as an Asian automaker to have shown the sound and smell of rally cars made by Toyota and Hyundai on East Asian roads to the fans. We will continue to strive for the development of motorsports in Asia."