Toyota telah mendedahkan dua versi berprestasi tinggi yang unik untuk GR Yaris baru, yang dikembangkan bekerjasama dengan juara pemandu Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) Sébastien Ogier dan Kalle Rovanperä. Model eksklusif ini membuat penampilan pertama mereka pada hari pertama Rallye-Monte Carlo, menandakan permulaan Kejuaraan Rali Dunia FIA 2024 (WRC).
Edisi Ogier
Terinspirasi oleh versi konsep yang dipamerkan di Tokyo Auto Salon 2023, edisi istimewa ini mencerminkan sumbangan peribadi pemandu juara yang turut serta dalam proses pembangunan. Inisiatif ini berakar dari keinginan Pengerusi Toyota Motor Corporation dan Pemandu Utama Akio Toyoda untuk mengungkapkan rasa terima kasih kepada pemandu yang memainkan peranan penting dalam menyempurnakan dan mengembangkan kereta Toyota melalui perlumbaan rali.
Kedua-dua edisi ini mempunyai tetapan semula, menggantikan mod “Gravel” dan “Track” yang terdapat dalam GR Yaris standard, untuk selaras dengan keutamaan peribadi setiap pemandu dalam pengendalian dan prestasi. Selain itu, setiap model mempunyai ciri-ciri reka bentuk luar dan dalaman yang unik.
Dikuasakan oleh iterasi terkini enjin tiga silinder turbo 1.6 liter GR Yaris, menghasilkan 280hp dan 390Nm tork, dipadankan dengan transmisi manual pintar enam kelajuan (6iMT), kedua-dua edisi eksklusif ini menjanjikan pengalaman pemanduan yang mendebarkan.
Edisi Ogier:
Edisi Ogier memperkenalkan dua mod kawalan AWD baru: Morizo dan Seb. Mod Morizo, yang dikembangkan oleh Akio Toyoda sendiri, memberi tumpuan pada penyampaian waktu lumba yang konsisten, manakala mod Seb, yang dikembangkan oleh Sébastien Ogier, menekankan pengalaman pemanduan yang bersambung dengan pengagihan tork untuk mengawal drift. Badan kereta mempunyai cat Matt Stealth Grey khas, butiran bendera kebangsaan Perancis, pelekat peringatan WRC, dan rim aloi BBS yang khas. Di dalam, terdapat plat peringatan kemenangan WRC, jahitan kontras menghormati warna kebangsaan Perancis, dan butiran khas lainnya.
Edisi Rovanperä:
Edisi Rovanperä mempunyai Mod Donut unik yang direka untuk drift dan melakukan donut berjurus, bersama dengan Mod Kalle yang memastikan ciri-ciri pengendalian linear. Reka bentuk luar mempunyai cat tiga warna unik dan pelekat kemenangan WRC, dengan rim aloi BBS dan spoiler belakang sayap CFRP yang boleh diubah. Kabin merangkumi hiasan dan penutup yang sepadan dengan warna kebangsaan Finlandia, plat yang mengingati kemenangan WRC TGR, dan sentuhan peribadi lainnya.
Kedua-dua Edisi Ogier dan Rovanperä akan mempunyai jumlah pengeluaran terhad, dengan butiran lanjut mengenai pesanan dan penjualan di pasaran Eropah akan diumumkan pada tarikh kemudian oleh pengedar tempatan. Model-model eksklusif ini bertujuan untuk meraikan semangat perlumbaan rali dan kerjasama antara pemandu yang memenangi kejuaraan dan komitmen Toyota terhadap kecemerlangan prestasi.
Lancia and the Martini Racing Team are prominently embedded in the history of the World Rally Championship (WRC), especially during that glorious period of the Group B super rallycars. The Italian cars, with the blue, light blue and red stripes, are just as well remembered as the Audi Quattro and Peugeot 205 Turbo.
Of the many rallies the team entered, it was during 1983 when the refined strategy and brilliance of team boss Cesare Fiorio beat Audi to take the first WRC title with the 037. It inspired the Martini Racing Team to continue competing with determination over the next 10 years. The 037 was succeeded by first the S4, and then the Delta Integrali which won another 6 world titles.
Frenchman Sebastien Ogier collected yet another victory – his ninth – at Rallye Monte-Carlo, the opening round of the 2023 World Rally Championship which ended today. Driving for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in selected events with co-driver Vincent Landais, Ogier powered the GR Yaris Hybrid on the twisty roads in the French Alps from start to finish.
His ninth victory makes him the driver with the most Monte Carlo wins. It joins 55 other WRC wins over 3 decades, during which time he has been with the Citroen Junior Team, Citroen, Volkswagen Motorsport, M-Sport Ford and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing teams. With 8 WRC titles, he has won twice as many championships as third-ranked Juha Kankkunen, and is just one short of Sebastien Loeb.
With the completion of the Rally de Espana recently, and a win by Sebastien Ogier, the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team won its third World Rally Championship (WRC) Manufacturers title. The Manufacturers title follows the Drivers and Co-drivers titles that were won by Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen on the previous rally in New Zealand.
This is the second year in a row that the team has managed a clean sweep of the three top titles. In total, this is the sixth occasion that Toyota has topped the WRC’s Manufacturers’ classification, the third time since it returned to the series in 2017.
Kalle Rovanpera, 22 years old, has become the youngest ever winner of a World Rally Championship (WRC) title after winning Rally New Zealand. Driving for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team with co-driver Jonne Halttunen, Rovanpera is only in his third season of rallying at the top tier of the sport.
The Finnish driver, who father also took part in the WRC before, is more than 5 years younger than the previous record-holder, Colin McRae, when he won the championship in 1995.
The Hyundai Motorsport team scored another victory in the World Rally Championship (WRC) with Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe leading the team to a 1-2-3 finish at the 2022 EKO Acropolis Rally Greece.
The Belgians seized top spot early in the rally after 9-time world champion Sebastien Loeb had to drop out when his pace-setting M-Sport Ford Puma had alternator failure. From that moment onwards, the Hyundai duo never looked back, followed by team-mates Ott Tanak and Dani Sordo.
The Hyundai Motorsport team scored another WRC victory at the Ypres Rally Belgium as Ott Tanak took his Hyundai i20N Rally1 to win with a 5-second margin. The Estonian driver, co-driven by compatriot Martin Jarveoja, inherited the top spot late on the penultimate day when his team-mate and long-time leader Thierry Neuville understeered off the road and into a ditch, shattering the Belgian’s hopes of a repeat home win.
Tanak, who had also won the last round in Finland earlier this month, carried an 8.2-second buffer over Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) into Sunday’s final leg, which comprised 4 short and sharp asphalt stages in the Flanders region. Although Evans did not make things easy for the leader, with two fastest time times on the opening stages, he was still unable to close the gap.
Tanak’s success reduces the gap with championship leader Kalle Rovanpera. The Toyota GAZOO Racing driver got nothing from this rally as he rolled his hybrid rallycar out of contention on Friday morning. The 21-year-old Finn was, however, able to collect 5 Wolf Power Stage bonus points and, with 72 points, remains on track to become the youngest WRC champion in history.
The two Hyundai wins have not managed to take the team any higher and the Manufacturers’ championship situation remains unchanged. The Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team remains behind Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT with an 88-point gap. In third is the M-SPORT Ford World Rally Team, 191 points behind the leader.
“To win here is a big surprise for us – more or less the same as it was in Finland,” said Tanak. “We didn’t expect it from anywhere basically, but somehow we were able to pull it together during the rally. It’s great to see that some WRC results are coming, but there is so much we can improve and we could still be a lot stronger, so there is still some work to do.”
For Evans, it was a case of what could have been. He gave away valuable seconds on Friday when a slow puncture forced him to run a wet weather tyre in dry conditions. He was also lumbered with a 10-second time penalty for arriving late to SS8. Without that, the outcome could have been different.
Rally2 & Rally3 WRC Rally2 cars also finished within the top 10, with FIA WRC2 victor Stephane Lefebvre leading the charge in a DG Sport Citroen C3 Rally2 ahead of Andreas Mikkelsen (Toksport WRT Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, Yohan Rossel (PH Sport Citroen) and Chris Ingram (Toksport Skoda), who won the WRC2 Junior division. Armin Kremer took WRC2 Masters glory, while Jan Cerny topped WRC3 in a Ford Fiesta Rally3.
Public debut of hydrogen-fuelled Yaris The public debut of the Toyota GR Yaris H2 concept took place on the stages in Belgium, and was completed by Toyota rally legend Juha Kankkunen driving the Power Stage ahead of the competitive field in the hydrogen-fuelled car.
The rally was the first time for Toyota to drive an under-development hydrogen-engine vehicle on public roads outside Japan. The GR Yaris H2 served as a testcar and ran ahead of a Safety Car that confirms safe conditions before the start. After driving the GR Yaris H2 himself on Saturday, Team Founder Akio Toyoda had the chance to ride alongside Kankkunen.
Toyota has dominated the World Rally Championship (WRC) news this year with victory after victory, so it was refreshing to have a different brand celebrating its win on the podium. Ott Tanak secured Secto Rally Finland victory to give Hyundai Motorsport its first ever triumph in the event with a perfect drive.
The Estonian driver led from the second stage of the rally to finish the 4-day gravel road fixture 6.8 seconds ahead of Toyota GR Yaris rival, Kalle Rovanpera. Though enjoying a lead, Tanak did not have it easy in his Hyundai i20 N but was still able to produce top times throughout, thanks to hard grit and determination.
At the opening stage of the Rally Finland, Rovanpera had been slow to move forward but then went on to win 5 stages the next day, climbing from fourth to second overall. He ended the penultimate day just 8.4 seconds behind after managing to narrow the gap despite the unpredictable conditions.
Dry conditions ensured further fast-paced action for closing leg, but Tanak was clearly not willing to lose his leading position. He gave just 1.8 second away to his rival over the 4 speed tests, and Rovanpera virtually resigned himself from a maiden home WRC victory.
With a strong collection of points in the bag, the 21-year was unwilling to take any unnecessary risks. Even without winning this round, he has extended his championship lead to 94 points after 8 rounds (with another 5 to go). Meanwhile, the Toyota GAZOO Racing team has a gap of 88 points in the lead in the Manufacturers’ standings with all three Yaris hybrid rallycars in the top four.
WRC2 Finishing eighth overall, Teemu Suninen finished the event with what was to be his first WRC2 victory of the season. However, it was not to be as he was disqualified due to this i20 N Rally2 car being underweight.
In post-event scrutineering, the weight of the front bumper was recorded as 3,931 gms – below the minimum allowed weight of 4,510 gms required to comply with homologation.
The team did not dispute the finding and explained that the front bumper was not an original part produced by Hyundai Motorsport but a copy. It has been used as a replacement for the original bumper during testing and was fitted to Suninen’s car wrongly.
Suninen’s disqualification meant that Skoda Fabia Rally2 driver Emil Lindholm, who finished 7.7 seconds behind in the rally in a Fabia Evo, received the maximum points as category winner.
WRC3 In the WRC3 category, Lauri Joona outran his rivals to secure a convincing victory in his home round. The FIA Junior WRC regular won all but 1 stage across the weekend in the all-Ford Fiesta Rally 3 category despite experiencing steering issues on both Friday and Saturday.
Already having a comfortable lead over second-placed Jan Cerny into Sunday, Joona did not let up his relentless push and took a clean sweep on all 4 of the final leg’s speed tests. His win moved him within a single point of championship leader Sami Pajari, who was contesting the WRC2 category.
After Rally Finland, the WRC returns to asphalt in less than 2 weeks when Belgium is again a WRC host country with Ypres Rally Belgium to take place on August 18 – 21.
While Skoda does not compete in the top class of the World Rally Championship, it has been very successful in other segments of the Rally Pyramid, notably in the WRC2 category. Its FABIA is among the most successful rallycars in the world with the rally versions – FABIA Rally2 and FABIA Rally2 evo – having dominated the category from 2015 to 2022. The more than 450 units built by Skoda Motorsport collected 1,710 victories by April 2022, including 4 victories in the legendary Monte Carlo Rally.
Newly developed engine
When it was time to move on to a new generation, the development team at Skoda Motorsport has much experience to draw upon. With the new FABIA RS Rally2, customer teams will have a much more competitive car with a new engine, improved handling, better electronics and enhanced safety features. The new engine is a 1.6-litre turbocharged unit based on the 2.0 TSI from the Volkswagen Group EA888 engine family (used in the RS models).
The output of 289 bhp/430 Nm goes to all four wheels via a sequential 5-speed transmission. Although there is a mechanical clutch, it is only used for starting, parking or when driving slowly. For optimum acceleration on tight, winding rally stages, the FABIA RS Rally2 has a relatively short gear ratio, offering a top speed of around 200 km/h.
To prepare the new FABIA RS Rally2 for action on the rally track, test-drivers subjected prototypes to extensive tests on asphalt, gravel and snow for almost a year. This included trials in the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Croatia, Germany, Belgium and Spain, as well as under extreme winter conditions in northern Finland since mid-2021.
The gruelling test programme validated the special braking system and precisely balanced chassis. In addition, the electronics and controls were also tested to meet the demanding conditions during a rally. Also tested was the special 82.5-litre fuel tank and shock-resistant rubber which meets the FIA’s regulations. Additional protection is provided by a carbon/kevlar composite cover and an absorbent layer on the underside.
Sustainable fuel requirement
Throughout the 2022 season, 100% sustainable petrol will be used by competing cars in the WRC. This is based on modern raw materials and high-purity renewable components. The bio-fuels are derived from biological waste and synthetic e fuels. These are produced using renewable energies that enable electrolysis from ‘green’ hydrogen as well as CO2, which is extracted from the air and industrial processes. The 100% renewable petrol is then mixed in a laboratory without any fossil-fuel components.
Some of the components used in rally vehicles differ significantly from their counterparts in production vehicles. Instead of having up to nine airbags and numerous electronic assistance systems like those found in the production FABIA, the new FABIA RS Rally2 relies purely on mechanics in many aspects. It also features specialised components, such as a roll cage and specially protected fuel tank.
Also unlike the production version sold to the public, the rally version only uses sensors for engine management and displaying the brake pressure, steering wheel position and fuel. The sensors merely provide information; with the production model, they perform any control functions. Only the engine control unit uses sensor data to ensure that it functions optimally in all driving modes and various weather conditions.
In a rallycar, the brake system can save valuable tenths of a second in the fight against the clock. The stronger the deceleration, the later the drivers can brake into a bend. In hard braking manoeuvres, the brake discs easily reach temperatures of more than 700 degrees C. To ensure efficient cooling at all times, the FABIA RS Rally2’s brake discs are internally ventilated, and an optimised brake cooling system is also available for gravel and asphalt stages.
Protecting the crew
Skoda Motorsport engineers have developed a roll-cage which has a total of 35.8 metres of high-strength chrome-molybdenum steel tubing and is welded to the chassis during body construction. The side panels and roof are then mounted over it. This procedure allows for even greater manufacturing precision, as well as a better fit and connection to the body.
The chassis is also engineered to meet the extreme demands of rallying. Compared to the previous model, the suspension stroke of the dampers is now longer and the MacPherson struts are stiffer. In addition, friction in the dampers is reduced. The longer wheelbase also prompted the development of new suspension kinematics.
More downforce generated
Paying attention to detail, the designers managed to almost double the downforce compared to its predecessor – an enormous advantage on the track, as greater downforce facilitates higher cornering speeds. For regulatory reasons, there are no active aerodynamic parts such as the radiator louvre from the production FABIA.
The same air curtains as in the front bumpers of the production car guide the airstream closely and aerodynamically over the body and wheels. They increase the downforce in combination with new side skirts, which prevent air from flowing underneath from the side. Incorporating a front splitter across the entire lower edge of the front bumper, they ensure optimum aerodynamic efficiency at the front.
Several aerodynamic components have been specially developed for the FABIA RS Rally2. In addition to the wider front and rear fenders, the newly developed rear wing increases the downforce. A small spoiler lip, the so-called Gurney flap, serves as a tear-off edge and also improves the downforce. The airflow over the roof is optimised thanks to a centrally positioned air scoop, which simultaneously supplies fresh air to the cockpit.
Support for customer teams
Skoda Motorsport has been supporting numerous customer teams in international rallying since 2020. The teams receive support that includes a comprehensive supply of spare parts and technical support, even at events. Additionally, Skoda Motorsports offers revision work on engines, transmissions and chassis components. Teams taking part in the WRC can also using Skoda Motorsport’s support truck equipped with an array of spare parts. It is available at selected WRC rounds and certain events in the European Rally Championship.
A year ago, the Toyota GAZOO RACING team won the Safari Rally Kenya, the Japanese carmaker’s first on the gruelling African event since Yoshio Fujimoto/Arne Hertz won the 43rd Safari in 1995 in a Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD.
This year, doing even better than the 1-2 finish in the 2021 event, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing made a remarkable clean sweep of the top 4 positions with the GR YARIS Rally1 car. Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta joined winner Kalle Rovanpera on the podium, with Sebastien Ogier (last year‘s winner) in fourth. The next best-placed car finished 8½ minutes behind the Toyota quartet.
It was also a landmark 10th victory for Toyota on the famous African event, and the first time it has achieved a 1-2-3-4 finish in the WRC since the very same rally in 1993. Only once has any other manufacturer achieved the same feat in the championship in nearly three decades since.
In its second running since returning to the WRC calendar last year, the Safari delivered even tougher conditions, including deep ‘fesh-fesh’ sand on Friday and wet and muddy surfaces on Saturday in addition to the ever-present rocks and stones. It was by far the hardest challenge yet for the new generation of hybrid-powered Rally1 cars.
Rovanpera had an early scare when he ran wide on the very first corner on Thursday’s opening super special in Nairobi and knocked a tyre off its rim. But he and co-driver Jonne Halttunen ran faultlessly thereafter on the way to their fourth victory in 6 rounds, increasing their championship lead to 65 points.
Rovanpera actually never expected to win this rally. He arrived in Kenya with a commanding points lead and played down his glory hopes, instead starting with the mindset that any points from the championship’s roughest encounter would be a bonus. And despite feeling unwell, he strengthened his position on Saturday and thrived in waterlogged conditions as downpours derailed many of his rivals’ hopes. The sizeable 40.3-second margin he carried into Sunday’s finale was extended further by another 2 fastest times and the youngster ended the tough 4-day event in the lead of the Yaris quartet.
Evans and his co-driver Scott Martin also performed superbly and ran their team-mates close for the victory, remaining within 20 seconds of the lead until the rain hit on Saturday afternoon. They finished up 52.8 seconds away as they scored their second podium of the season.
Ogier, the 2021 event winner, led for most of Friday in the defence of his crown until he had to stop and change a tyre on the day’s final stage, losing over 2 minutes. He and co-driver Benjamin Veillas fought back to fourth overall and, with their team-mates focused on reaching their finish, set the third-fastest time in the rally-ending Power Stage to add to the team’s points haul from the weekend. Its Manufacturers’ championship lead has increased to 62 points.
The hotly-anticipated battle with compatriot Sebastien Loeb never materialised either, as the 9-time world champion retired his M-Sport Ford Puma with engine problems on Friday. Nevertheless, Ogier was able to bring home more solid points for Toyota during his part-time campaign.
Hyundai Motorsport’s Thierry Neuville was over 10 minutes behind in fifth overall, despite incurring a 10-minute penalty when he crashed into a tree and failed to finish Saturday’s Sleeping Warrior finale. It was a weekend to forget for the Korean manufacturer, with Estonian Ott Tanak’s i20 N also sidelined by a broken propshaft on the penultimate leg and retiring for a second time with power steering failure on Sunday.
Craig Breen restarted after his early bath on Friday and ended as M-Sport Ford’s leading driver in sixth overall despite nursing suspension problems. Breen gained a position when Oliver Solberg stopped in the middle of the road with an air filter full of dust, causing the cancellation of Sunday’s opener. The young Swede eventually got going again but was plagued by a mechanical issue in the closing speed tests and dropped to 10th.
Competing in Africa for the first time, and having led from start to finish in a Skoda Fabia Rally2, Kajetan Kajetanowicz won the WRC2 class by the massive margin and topped off a perfect weekend by scoring maximum bonus points in the rally-closing Wolf Power Stage. He leapt from fifth in the standings to lead by 5 points after six of 13 rounds.
RESULTS (TOP TEN)
1. Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) 3:40:24.9 secs
2. Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +52.8 secs
3. Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +1 min 42.7 secs
4. Sebastien Ogier/Benjamin Veillas (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +2 mins 10.3 secs
5. Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +10 mins 40.9 secs
6. Craig Breen/Paul Nagle (Ford Puma Rally1) +23 mins 27.9 secs
7. Jourdan Serderidis/Frederic Miclotte (Ford Puma Rally1) +30 mins 16.5 secs
8. Sebastien Loeb/Isabelle Galmiche (Ford Puma Rally1) +32 mins 12.6 secs
9. Kajetan Kajetanowicz/Maciej Szczepaniak (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +35 mins 37.6 secs
10. Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +37 mins 36.6 secs
