Toyota boasts four full-season drivers in the 2025 WRC: Kalle Rovanperä, Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, and Sami Pajari, who is entering his first full season in the championship’s top tier.
In addition, part-time driver Sebastien Ogier will compete in the season opener, which doubles as his home rally. The field will feature ten Rally1 cars, half of which are Toyota GR Yarises.
Each WRC team can nominate three drivers per event to score points in the manufacturers’ championship. At Monte Carlo, Rovanperä, Evans, and Ogier will score points for Toyota’s factory team, while Katsuta competes without the pressure of contributing to the team standings.
Toyota has taken an innovative approach by creating a satellite team called Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 for Pajari. This means Pajari will score points for Toyota’s secondary team rather than the main one.
This setup offers Toyota additional tactical opportunities. For instance, Pajari could take points away from Toyota’s primary rival Hyundai in the manufacturers’ championship.
However, this move is likely driven more by testing considerations. Teams can test without limits on their private test tracks but are restricted to just 21 test days per year outside those areas.
With four full-time drivers, Toyota’s available test days would be stretched thin. By placing Pajari in the satellite team, he won’t use test days allocated to the main team’s drivers.
In competition, Pajari can also serve as a “strategic piece” for Toyota. In certain situations, he could allow a factory team driver to pass him to maximise points for the manufacturers’ championship.
Hyundai also has room to implement a similar tactical strategy. The team currently fields three full-time drivers: Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak, and Adrien Fourmaux. However, Hyundai is still considering the possibility of running a fourth car in select events.
Candidates for this role include Esapekka Lappi, Dani Sordo, and Andreas Mikkelsen, who shared duties in Hyundai’s third Rally1 car last year.
Hyundai’s approach, if it happens, would differ from Toyota’s. A fourth car for Hyundai would likely be piloted by an experienced driver who could directly strengthen the main team, especially with a favourable starting position behind the front runners.
For Pajari, the priority is gaining experience, although he has the potential to shine in fast rallies he already knows well. His role in Toyota’s strategy could still provide a crucial edge in the manufacturers’ championship battle.
