Toyota has boosted its challenge for both World Rally Championship titles by fielding its full four-car squad at Rally Chile later this month.
Reigning world champion Kalle Rovanperä will join Sébastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta in Concepción for the September 26-29 event. Chile will be just the fourth time this season all four Toyota GR Yaris Rally1s have been present – Portugal, Latvia and Finland (where it actually ran a fifth car for Sami Pajari) are the other occasions.
Rovanperä struggled to make an impact on last year’s Rally Chile, running first on the road through Friday and struggling with a lack of rear grip after taking soft Pirellis on Saturday morning.
Ahead of this week’s Acropolis Rally Greece, Ogier is second in the standings, 27 points adrift of Hyundai’s series leader Thierry Neuville. With entries for Rally Chile closing last week, Ogier has been called up to drive as he remains Toyota’s best hope of denying Hyundai a first-ever drivers’ title.
The makes’ race is closer, with just 20 points separating leaders Hyundai from defending champions Toyota.
Ogier's only previous start in Chile yielded second in 2019
Rovanperä’s inclusion makes nine Rally1 Hybrid cars on the entry with M-Sport Ford also running a non-hybrid car for Mārtiņš Sesks alongside full-time drivers Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster.
Hyundai has chosen Esapekka Lappi, for what could be his final drive for the team, to partner Neuville and Ott Tänak.
There are 16 cars on the WRC2 entry list, with Oliver Solberg leading the way as he chases title glory.
Victory at Rally Chile (September 26-29) would earn the Škoda driver this year’s WRC2 title, but he’ll face competition from Yohan Rossel and Jan Solans.
In total, 45 cars are on the entry for Chile’s third appearance in the WRC.
