Khaberni - The Toyota Gazoo Racing team celebrated a record win at the Chile Rally; where Sebastien Ogier and his co-driver Vincent Landier led the race aboard the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 bearing number 17, while their teammate Elfyn Evans and his co-driver Scott Martin secured second place aboard the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 bearing number 33.
This victory marks Toyota's 103rd in the World Rally Championship, the highest number of wins by any manufacturer in the history of the championship, besides the record set by Toyota for finishing first and second for the thirtieth time. With this achievement, Toyota has extended its lead in the manufacturers' championship to 125 points with three rounds remaining in the season.
On this occasion, Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Gazoo Racing, commented: "Congratulations to Sebastien and Vincent on your win in the Chile Rally. As we approach the final stages of the season, my only wish is for the drivers to enjoy driving to the fullest. And to all team members, continue preparing the cars carefully so that the drivers can achieve this. And to all the drivers, do your utmost and enjoy these last three rallies. I am truly excited to see you all in the competitions."
The Chile Rally, held in the Biobio region, saw intense competition amid continuous changes in the weather and challenging race tracks; where rain before the opening stages affected the road quality, giving Evans an early chance to lead before he fell back with the drying of the track, while Ogier seized the opportunity to close the gap. As rain continued later, Evans regained strength before Ogier responded with three consecutive stage wins, reclaiming the lead.
Only 6.3 seconds separated the two teams before the final stages; where the drivers shared control of the early test stage, before Ogier pulled ahead significantly in the penultimate round, clinching the race in the final Power Stage. With this victory, Ogier achieved his sixty-sixth career win, and his second consecutive in South America, scoring the highest points after leading both the Super Sunday and Power stages, placing him at the top of the drivers' championship with 224 points.
Meanwhile, Evans and his co-driver Martin delivered a balanced performance, finishing the rally just 11 seconds behind, securing second place in the Super Sunday stage, and coming within just two points of Ogier in the drivers' championship standings.
Toyota has participated in various motorsport events over the years, including Formula 1, the World Endurance Championship, and the 24 Hours Nürburgring endurance race. Toyota's participation in these events was managed by separate teams and entities within the company until April 2015 when Toyota established the Gazoo Racing division to unify all its motorsport activities under one name. Starting from the belief and motto "We gain experience on the roads; to build better cars," Gazoo Racing highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of the company's commitment to developing the best cars ever. Benefiting from years of experience gained under the harsh conditions of various motorsport competitions, Gazoo Racing aims to develop leading technologies and new solutions that offer everyone the thrill of freedom, adventure, and enjoyable driving.
The next round is the Central European Rally, and the twelfth round of the World Rally Championship 2025, scheduled to take place between October 16 and 19; where drivers will return to asphalt roads after seven gravel rounds. This rally, first held in 2023, features rugged roads extending across Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria.
