TOYOTA GAZOO Racing seals commanding 1-2-3-4 finish at Rally Islas Canarias
MADRID, May 17: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) showcased complete domination at the Rally Islas Canarias, clinching a stellar 1-2-3-4 finish at the first pure asphalt round of the season in style. The emphatic victory was spearheaded by the electrifying performance of Kalle Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen (No. 69 GR YARIS Rally1), marking a grand return to the top of the podium. They were challenged by Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais(No. 17), Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin(No. 33), and Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston(No. 18) to claim second, third, and fourth place, respectively.
Akio Toyoda, TGR-WRT Chairman, commented: "This wonderful result we achieved was made possible by the efforts of every single member of TGR-WRT. It was amazing that we could finish 1-2-3-4 with Kalle, Seb, Elfyn, and Takamoto on the roads of Gran Canaria, which we drove for the first time. Even on unfamiliar roads, our engineers and mechanics managed to prepare the cars with setups that the drivers already felt confident with in shakedown."
Toyoda added: "We are a team where members can say thank you to each other while fighting together, and TGR-WRT always aspires to be such a team. Thank you, everyone! Great work! This rally, in particular, was filled with everyone's hearts. We have a busy schedule ahead leading up to Rally Finland. Let's continue to push as one team!'
In the first rally with the new hard-compound Hankook asphalt tyre, TGR-WRT exhibited a commanding performance. Rovanperä and Halttunen dominated from the start and sealed the top spot by a margin of 53.5 seconds, setting the best time in the rally-ending Power Stage. With this, Rovanperä has become the most successful driver for Toyota in the WRC with 16 career wins.
The rally also marked Ogier's strong return to action. Teaming up with Landais, he even bettered Rovanperä in the penultimate stage to secure second place on the podium. By finishing third, Evans and Martin attained their fourth top-three finish of the season. With 43 points, Evans is now the frontrunner for the drivers' championship title.
With this emphatic win, Toyota reigns at the top of the table with a strong 208 points in contention for the manufacturers' title.
Over the years, Toyota has been participating in many different forms of motorsports, including Formula One, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race. Toyota's participation in these events was overseen by separate entities within the company until April 2015, when Toyota established TGR to consolidate all of its motorsports activities under one in-house brand. Representing Toyota's belief that 'the roads build the people, and the people build the cars,' TGR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota's commitment to making 'ever-better' cars. Harnessing years of experience gained under the extreme conditions of various motorsports events, TGR aims to forge new technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.
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