Toyota Names Six Drivers for 2027 WRC Season
Toyota's six-driver lineup for the upcoming World Rally Championship includes one partial-season campaign by two-time world champion Kalle Rovanperä.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Motorsports
Toyota has announced its six-driver lineup for the upcoming World Rally Championship season, featuring Kalle Rovanperä, Ott Tänak, Takamoto Katsuta, Elfyn Evans, Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari. Rovanperä will run a partial campaign covering roughly half the rounds, while Sébastien Ogier was absent from the team's official launch.
Why it matters
The announcement fills most of Toyota's WRC seats while leaving one seat open for a young talent to earn. Toyota's rotation approach gives the team flexibility to field six drivers at every rally.
Toyota's lineup spans six drivers, with Gazoo Racing Toyota running two permanent drivers and one open seat and Toyota Racing fielding three full-time competitors. Ogier's role for the coming season remains undecided.
The players
Kalle Rovanperä
A two-time world champion and Finnish rally driver who will run a partial Toyota campaign covering roughly half the season.
Ott Tänak
An Estonian rally driver and former world champion who will compete full-time for Gazoo Racing Toyota.
Jari-Matti Latvala
A former Finnish rally driver who now serves as Toyota's team principal overseeing the squad's driver selection.
The details
Rovanperä, a two-time world champion, will drive a GR Yaris Rally1 for Gazoo Racing Toyota alongside Tänak and Katsuta, while Evans, Solberg and Pajari will compete in GR Celica Rally1 machinery. Team principal Jari-Matti Latvala said open-seat candidates do not have to come from the Toyota Challenge talent programme, but must compete in the WRC2 championship with a GR Yaris Rally2.
Timeline
• Next year (2027 WRC season): Toyota's six-driver lineup and partial campaigns begin
• Season-opening round in Monte Carlo: Rovanperä is expected to start his campaign
The Big Picture
Toyota's open-seat policy, which allows candidates from outside its Toyota Challenge talent programme, departs from a closed development pipeline. The approach keeps the team competitive while giving rising WRC2 drivers a clear route into the top tier.
Fans following WRC standings will see Rovanperä appear in roughly half the rounds, which affects how team and championship points are projected. The open seat means a young WRC2 driver could appear in a Toyota entry at any rally, depending on how the team rotates its roster.
The takeaway
Toyota's rotating roster approach lets young WRC2 drivers earn top-tier opportunities without a fixed season commitment, so watch which talent fills the open seat as the campaign unfolds.
What happens next
Rovanperä is expected to begin his partial campaign at the season-opening round in Monte Carlo.
Further reading
For broader context on the championship, see Motorsports coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pulse Nigeria.
