Toyota’s WRC team announced its driver line-up for next season on Monday, confirming that Ogier, Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari will all stay with the squad. In addition, the team has signed Oliver Solberg to replace Kalle Rovanperä, who is heading to circuit racing.
Ogier will continue as a part-time driver for Toyota. One key detail about the nine-time world champion’s contract was revealed: he will contest more than half of next year’s rallies alongside his co-driver Vincent Landais.
Ogier remains firmly in the fight for this year’s world title against his Toyota team-mate Evans. Should he clinch the crown, he would have the opportunity to chase a historic tenth world championship in 2026. The current record holder, Sébastien Loeb, has nine titles to his name.
When asked in Monday’s press conference whether he plans to fight for the title again next season, Ogier replied:
“That is a very good question. But the truth is, when you start the season without a full programme, fighting for the title is never really the target. Only after an exceptional run like we’ve managed and been lucky to have this year, opportunities like this arise.”
“But normally you can’t really count on that straight away. The only thing I can promise is that I will continue to give 100% commitment and bring maximum points for the team in the manufacturers’ championship. For the rest, the future will tell,” the Frenchman added.
As Ogier reflected on his future, he highlighted how much he enjoys being part of Toyota. He has driven for the Japanese manufacturer since 2020 and, from 2022 onwards, has been free to choose his own rally programme within the World Rally Championship.
“This is starting to be the longest relationship I’ve had with any team in my career. It just proves how much we enjoy working together and how the team keeps pushing things forward and providing us with the best possible environment to succeed,” Ogier said.
Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala confirmed during the press conference that Ogier’s 2026 schedule will be discussed in more detail after the current season concludes. However, as the past two years have shown, Ogier’s programme can still be adjusted significantly during the year if needed.
