Toyota’s driver challenge programme was launched in 2015 when the brand was preparing for its return to the World Rally Championship. The first driver selected was Takamoto Katsuta, who now competes in Toyota’s top-tier WRC team.
Following Katsuta — who has six WRC podiums to his name — the programme remained quiet for several years, until Yuki Yamamoto and Hikaru Kogure were brought on board in 2021. The pair are now in their second season competing in the WRC2 category. Yamamoto’s best result to date is ninth place in class at Rally Sweden, while Kogure finished sixth in a domestic Japanese event at the end of last season.
The third wave of drivers included Shotaro Goto and Takumi Matsushita, who are contesting both the WRC and Finnish Rally Championship this year in a Renault Clio Rally3 car. At the end of last year, the fourth wave added Rio Ogata and Kanta Yanaguida, who have started their rally journey this season in Rally4 machinery.
Now the fifth round of selection is set to begin on 15 July, and applications will close once 100 candidates have registered. All applicants will first be tested in Japan in September, with the final training camp to take place in Finland in December.
I am very happy to be able to hold the selection again. Through this program, TGR will unearth talented young people and support their growth. Our search for talent will be an ongoing effort, and I am very excited to see what kind of talent I will encounter when I visit Japan again this year,” said lead instructor Mikko Hirvonen.
“Anyone can apply for this selection. No motorsport experience is required, and it is a great opportunity to open the door to a dream for everyone who is interested in rallies and rally cars. In the past, I have met many young people who had passion and talent but did not have the opportunity to even test their skills, let alone participate in a rally.”
The selected talents will undergo a full training programme starting in January 2026 at the team’s base in Jyväskylä, Finland. The programme includes not only driving but also pacenote training, as well as physical and mental coaching. The drivers will immediately begin competing in European Rally4 events during the 2026 season.
Among the most recent Japanese prospects, Matsushita and Goto claimed a one-two finish at the Revontuli Rally in early June. Yanaguida and Ogata, on the other hand, were forced to retire. Still, they made a strong first impression in their debut rally in Finland, finishing third and fourth respectively in the SM3 class at the Turku-based Finnish Championship round.
