Toyota has dominated the World Rally Championship this season, as the team has achieved a total of nine wins from ten rounds. Only in Greece in June did Hyundai’s Ott Tänak take first place.
For the Japanese manufacturer, Sébastien Ogier has taken four victories, while Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanperä have both won twice. Oliver Solberg, meanwhile, claimed a sensational win in Estonia.
In Paraguay, Ogier once again showed the younger drivers who is boss. That achievement, from a brand-new WRC round, was also praised by Toyota’s chairman Akio Toyoda.
“On the tough and completely new roads of Paraguay, Seb and Vincent (co-driver Landais) achieved a magnificent victory. Thank you for never giving up and continuing to push through such rough conditions and bad weather,” Toyoda enthused.
“Elfyn and Scott (co-driver Martin) also secured second place, and I’m really glad they were able to maintain the championship lead
Toyoda also thanked his entire team for their hard work. The one-two finish extended Toyota’s lead in the manufacturers’ championship to 100 points, with only four rounds remaining. Now, only a true miracle can prevent Toyota from taking a fifth consecutive title.
“Taking on the challenge of a rally on unfamiliar roads without even the chance for a pre-event test must have been incredibly tough, both in preparation and in the event itself. The efforts of every single team member led to this fantastic result. Thanks to that, this rally became a very meaningful one in our fight for the championship. Well done, team,” Toyoda summed up.
The final stretch of the WRC season is brutal: in addition to the upcoming Chile round in just over a week, the caravan will make one more stop in Europe and then continue to Japan and Saudi Arabia.
“One more rally remains here in South America, and after that the fight continues in Europe, Japan, and the Middle East with big transfers in between. Please continue to put health first as we push through the last four rallies. Let’s make sure this season stays a joyful one with plenty of smiles,” Toyoda concluded.
