There were no major surprises in Toyota’s press conference held in Japan. Oliver Solberg will replace Kalle Rovanperä, who is moving to circuit racing, as widely expected, while the rest of the team remains unchanged for 2026.
Sébastien Ogier will compete on a part-time basis, while the other cars will again be driven by Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari.
Pajari has driven his first full season in the WRC’s top category this year but has been part of what is known as the second team.
Team principal Jari-Matti Latvala, who will continue in his role next year, could not yet confirm on Monday whether Pajari’s role will change next season, or even if the team will have a second outfit at all.
“The second team has been a good option for Sami this year. We can continue with it in the future if there is a need,” Latvala said.
“It’s all about strategy – what we want to see and what we want to achieve. From a manufacturers’ championship point of view, it’s always better to have two teams, but we’re still considering it,” Latvala continued.
“No final decision has been made yet, but this is a good way to operate, as we have done with Sami this year. A full analysis will be made after the final rally of the season,” Latvala added.
The roles of the other drivers are also still undecided. The only certainty is that Elfyn Evans, who is still chasing his first world title this season, will drive all the rallies for Toyota’s main team again next year. Sébastien Ogier, meanwhile, is expected to compete only part-time.
“We haven’t made a final decision yet, but we know we have many options. Elfyn has driven the whole season with the team, so he will continue in the same way. We’ll see what Seb wants to do in terms of events – his programme isn’t fully set yet. After that, we’ll decide who will bring the points for the manufacturers’ championship fight,” Latvala explained.
However, Latvala emphasised that Toyota will once again have a very strong line-up next season.
“Oliver has already won a rally this year, and Sami has been on the podium, so they’re all capable of scoring points for the manufacturers’ championship if Seb isn’t competing,” Latvala said.
“But as I mentioned earlier, we still need to think about our strategy – we haven’t made a final decision about next year’s plan yet, as we still have one rally to go. Last year the situation was a bit different because Japan was the final round of the season, so the plan was already in place by then. Now we need to finish this season first before we can fully confirm our strategy for 2026,” Latvala concluded.
