Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Staff claimed their fourth consecutive FIA World Rally Championship producers’ title* on Sunday in an exhilarating finish to the season, scoring a one-two end on dwelling floor at Rally Japan.
Regardless of closing their deficit to the chief Hyundai from 15 to 11 factors based mostly on the positions on the finish of Saturday, TGR-WRT went into the ultimate day nonetheless dealing with a tricky process to retain their title. Nevertheless, with all drivers on each groups pushing laborious on the difficult asphalt roads close to Toyota Metropolis, they have been offered with a possibility when the rally chief Ott Tänak went off on Sunday’s opening stage.
With Elfyn Evans and Sébastien Ogier promoted into first and second total, and with the separate Tremendous Sunday classification additionally factored in, the 2 groups have been degree on factors going into the rally-ending Energy Stage, the place as much as 5 additional factors have been accessible for the quickest drivers.
As Takamoto Katsuta had adopted the staff’s technique by additionally cleanly making it by way of the rally, TGR-WRT may depend on three contenders on this final-stage decider. Ogier set the quickest time within the Energy Stage for the total 5 bonus factors, and with Evans third-quickest and Katsuta fourth, the staff clinched the title by three factors after 13 rallies.
It’s the eighth producers’ title gained by Toyota within the WRC, drawing it degree with Citroën for second place within the all-time listing.
Evans and co-driver Scott Martin proved to be the masters of the demanding Japanese phases as soon as extra as they celebrated their first victory because the identical occasion final yr. The end result ensures they end the yr as runners-up within the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings.
Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais ended the yr with their seventh podium from 10 begins, together with three wins. Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen additionally contributed 4 victories from a partial marketing campaign. Katsuta and navigator Aaron Johnston rounded out the season strongly with a second straight top-four end.
The GR Yaris Rally2 automobile’s debut season has been topped with the final word accolade as Sami Pajari and Enni Mälkönen claimed the WRC2 championship on the ultimate spherical.
The Finnish crew drove a wonderful marketing campaign – together with three Rally1 appearances with TGR-WRT – that they capped with a sensible drive in Japan to second place in WRC2 of their Printsport-run automobile, sufficient to seal the title by three factors.
Staff Quotes
Akio Toyoda (TGR-WRT Chairman): “With the slogan ‘we hate to lose,’ we saved combating till the very finish. I wish to have fun sincerely with all of the TGR-WRT members at the moment.
Jari-Matti, Kaj, Tom, Elfyn, Scott, Seb, Vincent, Taka, Aaron, Kalle, Jonne, and everyone within the staff, thanks a lot. And congratulations additionally to Sami and Enni.
Thierry, Martijn, and everybody at Hyundai, congratulations on successful the drivers’ and co-drivers’ championship titles.
WRC 2024 turned actually thrilling as we have been in a position to battle towards one another till the ultimate spherical, the ultimate day and the ultimate stage. I imagine it’s vital for us as Asian automobile producers to point out followers the sound and odor of the rally vehicles on the roads of East Asia. Let’s proceed to spice up motorsports in Asia collectively, and let’s have battle once more subsequent yr!”
Jari-Matti Latvala (Staff Principal): “Now we have had such a rollercoaster season and we knew coming right here to Rally Japan that we nonetheless had an opportunity to take the title, however the odds weren’t in our favour. Nevertheless, we mentioned that we’d battle till the final metre of the rally and see what occurs, and truly we saved that battle on to the top and that’s how we managed to win the title. Now we have had three devastating Sundays within the second a part of the yr the place we’ve misplaced factors proper on the finish of the rallies, and sooner or later it regarded like there may be no hope, however we simply saved bouncing again and this can be a momentous Sunday for us. It exhibits you must hold combating till the top and by no means lose religion.”
Elfyn Evans (driver automobile 33): “It’s been a really thrilling final day of Rally Japan and we’re delighted with the ultimate end result. It’s a really particular occasion as a house rally for the staff and I’m naturally very joyful to win it once more and in doing so contribute in the direction of the producers’ title: it means rather a lot for each member of the staff and I’m proud to be part of it. We possibly didn’t all the time have the efficiency we needed throughout the entire weekend, however we saved making an attempt till the top. I felt for Ott this morning as he needed to push, and that opened up the chance for us, however it nonetheless wasn’t simple to deliver it dwelling and get the factors we wanted.”
Sébastien Ogier (driver automobile 17): “I don’t suppose you can have written a greater end to the season for us, with all the things to play for on the ultimate stage. There was quite a lot of strain, it was all or nothing within the Energy Stage, and naturally we’re delighted that we managed to provide this efficiency on this second and clinch the title with the staff. Seeing the joyful faces of everybody within the staff, and of our chairman Morizo-san, is the most effective feeling and good reward for all the trouble that everybody has made throughout the season. It’s proof once more of why we must always by no means hand over.”
Takamoto Katsuta (driver automobile 18): “It’s been a tricky season however on the finish we have been in a position to take again the producers’ championship, and it’s such an incredible feeling. I needed to be affected person this weekend which has not been simple however I managed to remain on the highway and push within the Energy Stage. The entire staff did a incredible job. With out their help I might not have been in a position to do it, so an enormous due to them and to my team-mates. There have been quite a lot of followers cheering for me this weekend. I’m sorry for them that it I wasn’t in a position to take a podium this time, however due to them for his or her help as nicely.”
PROVISIONAL FINAL CLASSIFICATION, RALLY JAPAN
1 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) 3h23m41.0s
2 Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +1m27.3s
3 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Ford Puma Rally1 HYBRID) +1m55.5s
4 Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +2m02.6s
5 Grégoire Munster/Louis Louka (Ford Puma Rally1 HYBRID) +3m11.5s
6 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID) +6m54.1s
7 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Citroën C3 Rally2) +10m04.3s
8 Sami Pajari/Enni Mälkönen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +11m50.8s
9 Hiroki Arai/Shunsuke Matsuo (Škoda Fabia R5) +13m24.3s
10 Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +14m15.8s
(Outcomes as of 17:30 on Sunday, for the newest outcomes please go to www.wrc.com)
2024 FIA World Rally Championship for drivers after spherical 13:
1 Thierry Neuville 242 factors
2 Elfyn Evans 210
3 Ott Tänak 200
4 Sébastien Ogier 191
5 Adrien Fourmaux 162
6 Takamoto Katsuta 116
7 Kalle Rovanperä 114
8 Gregoire Munster 46
9 Dani Sordo 44
10 Sami Pajari 44
2024 FIA World Rally Championship for producers after spherical 13:
1 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Staff 561 factors
2 Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Staff 558 factors
3 M-Sport Ford World Rally Staff 295
*topic to the official publication of the outcomes by the FIA
ENDS
