The penultimate round of the season, the Central European Rally, will be held across the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria. Stakes are high as Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville aims to secure the drivers’ championship, while Hyundai and Toyota battle for the manufacturers’ title.
Check the current WRC standings here.
Toyota has already begun its preparations for the challenging Central European event. Team drivers Sebastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans, and Takamoto Katsuta conducted their tests over the weekend.
Toyota’s test sessions took place in the Czech Republic, where the drivers fine-tuned their GR Yaris Rally1 cars on narrow tarmac roads.
Watch the videos of Ogier, Evans, and Katsuta’s tests below!
During testing, a rare occurrence was observed: designated viewing areas for spectators were marked with ropes along the roadside, while other spots were flagged as no-go zones.
This is quite unusual for testing sessions. Typically, local organisers ensure that other vehicles are kept off the test roads, but specific viewing areas for fans are not usually delineated.
In the Central European Rally, Toyota will attempt to close the gap with Hyundai in the manufacturers’ championship. In the previous round in Chile, Toyota reduced Hyundai’s lead by 18 points, now trailing the top spot by just 17 points.
Katsuta will return to the cockpit of Toyota’s Rally1 car for this tarmac event after sitting out the last round. Katsuta, Evans, and Ogier will all compete for manufacturers’ points in Central Europe, while Sami Pajari will drive a fourth Toyota outside the factory team.
The Central European Rally takes place from October 17-20.
