Although we don’t know Toyota’s driver lineup yet for the 2027 World Rally Championship, we know it will have at least one world champion in its roster – potentially more.
Project Rally One will be one of the reigning champion’s direct competitors with the same specification of car, but the Belgian outfit is in a very different situation.
It will not complete a full season in 2027, instead focusing on Tarmac first before pivoting to gravel.
And while it has revealed the names of six of its eight test and development drivers, it hasn’t signed anyone to drive the car in competition yet.
“First of all, compared to the OEM manufacturer [like Toyota], you need to convince drivers to come to us, to trust the team that we can do proper job,” Project Rally One technical leader Lionel Hansen explained to DirtFish.
“The first one was Stéphane Lefebvre, and we announced today on gravel that Teemu Suninen is coming now to test with us, but I don’t know if he can be interested about this project.
“I need to show what we can do with Stéphane, but it’s the same for every driver. With our experience, we know that the Tarmac car, the reliability can be fast, very quickly, and then we have already some tests with seven, eight drivers, and we need to convince these drivers.
“My main feeling is that the WRC changed,” Hansen added. “The World Rally Championship also gives more opportunities on that kind of project. And if I can show an homologated car ready to go to Monte Carlo, even in November, to a topdriver in a different category, I can maybe show that the car is a good car.”
Attracting drivers before a wheel has turned in competition will be difficult, but Project Rally One’s decision not to contest every event next year might actually give it an advantage.
No driver is going to become world champion in one of its cars in 2027 given it’ll miss several events, so the targets are different.
Without a full championship to consider, there’s no need for compromise. So why must it stick with the same driver(s) for each event?
“We have one completely different targets from a manufacturer,” Hansen said. “We don’t have the same goal of being a World Rally champion with the same driver [next year, so] I can choose my driver for each race.
Which names will appear on this rear window in 2027?
“I can take as I expect, but I didn’t explain to him at the moment, that Sordo can be the driver for the race in Spain. Why not? [Andrea] Crugnola in Italy, or maybe [Kris] Meeke for the new race in Scotland. And it’s also one of the goals that we can jump driver to driver race by race.
“But it’s Alain Penasse, the driver manager, [who will sort this].”
Lefebvre keen to be one of those drivers
Stéphane Lefebvre has been heavily involved in the initial test and development phase of Project Rally One’s new machine, which is yet to be named.
The Frenchman was present for the car’s public launch in Belgium on Friday, and unsurprisingly highlighted his desire to compete for Project Rally One in 2027.
Lefebvre hasn’t driven in the top class of the WRC since 2017 when he was employed by Citroën.
Lefebvre has been winning events regularly in Rally2, but wants to return to the WRC's top table
“I think everybody hopes it’s possible [to be competing next year],” Lefebvre told DirtFish. “It’s too early to be sure at 100%, but yeah, it’s a target.
“When you are a rally driver, you want to find a program with something strong. And I hope to be in the Monte and maybe more next year.”
Lefebvre believes the new regulations will help other drivers like him, who’ve been competing in Rally2 for years, to make a step up in the world championship.
“With the new regulations, it’s giving me some job for the year,” he said. “During the last year, I was trying to do some rally with Rally2 and it was tricky to find an official seat, and now to be part of this project it gives me one second breath and yeah it’s really nice. I’m very happy.”
