Toyota has received its first customer order for the newly developed GR Celica Rally1 ahead of the 2027 World Rally Championship season, with Spanish outfit Teo Martin Motorsport securing two chassis according to reporting by rallyjournal.com.
The Japanese manufacturer previously announced a split two-team structure for the upcoming technical regulations era, fielding both the GR Yaris Rally1 and the newly introduced Celica model.
Teo Martin Motorsport Debuts Rally1 Machinery in 2027
- Teo Martin Motorsport plans to debut the new Rally1 machinery in the summer of 2027, maintaining WRC2 entries with Toyota Rally2 equipment early in the season.
- Driver allocations feature Elfyn Evans, Oliver Solberg, and Sami Pajari piloting the GR Celica Rally1 for Toyota Racing.
- Returning champion Ott Tänak and Kalle Rovanperä lead the separate Gazoo Racing Toyota squad aboard the GR Yaris Rally1.
Manufacturers Must Provide Rally1 Vehicles to Customer Teams
Under the updated technical regulations for 2027, manufacturers developing new Rally1 vehicles must make them available to customer teams upon sufficient demand. Both of Toyota’s designated body styles—the GR Yaris Rally1 and the GR Celica Rally1—are engineered around the underlying technology of the Toyota Rally2 model while featuring distinct aerodynamic bodywork. rallyjournal.com reported that Teo Martin Motorsport selected the Celica variant after reviewing initial design data.
“Viņi man jautāja, vai vēlos Yaris vai Celica. Es izvēlējos Celica. Tagad man jābrauc to apskatīt,”
said Teo Martin, founder of Teo Martin Motorsport, in an interview cited by rallyjournal.com.
Martin added that initial visual materials revealed highly developed aerodynamics on the new chassis. While the Spanish team has placed an order for two units, delivery timelines mean only one vehicle could theoretically be ready for the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally, with the second chassis arriving by early summer.
Consequently, the team decided to anchor its early 2027 campaign in the WRC2 category using its existing Toyota Rally2 machinery before transitioning to the premier class.
Toyota Divides Entries Across Two Distinct Setups
Toyota’s operational strategy divides its six full-season and part-season entries across two distinct setups. Tänak returns to the manufacturer fold after a one-year hiatus, driving a full campaign alongside part-time teammate Rovanperä in the Gazoo Racing Toyota setup. Meanwhile, the Toyota Racing arm features Evans, Solberg, and Pajari contesting every round of the 2027 championship.
| Team Entity | Vehicle Model | Confirmed Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Racing | GR Celica Rally1 | Elfyn Evans, Oliver Solberg, Sami Pajari |
| Gazoo Racing Toyota | GR Yaris Rally1 | Ott Tänak, Kalle Rovanperä, Takamoto Katsuta |
| Teo Martin Motorsport (Customer) | GR Celica Rally1 (Ordered) | Alejandro Cachón (WRC2 transition pending) |
Tänak noted the immense engineering effort required to build a competitive Rally1 car from a clean sheet under fresh regulations.
“Mēs varam teikt, ka viens gads ir diezgan ilgs laiks, bet izstrādāt automašīnu no tukšas lapas, kā šī, ziniet, nekad nav viegls darbs,” Tänak told DirtFish in comments reported by 4rati.lv, emphasizing that competitors will encounter unfamiliar conditions starting from the opening stages in Monte Carlo.
“Jā, es noteikti raugos uz priekšu, esmu motivēts, tāpēc mēs esam šeit,” Tanaks told DirtFish.
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