This article was translated from Arabic. Read the Arabic original
Austria Now News – Vienna
Two big names are returning to the World Rally Championship in the 2027 season: Toyota announced on Tuesday that former world champions Kalle Rovanperä of Finland and Ott Tänak of Estonia will be back behind the wheel of its cars as a new era begins in the championship, sport.ORF.at reported.
Six drivers and two different cars
The Japanese manufacturer will in future rely on six drivers and two different cars. Frenchman Sebastien Ogier, a nine-time world champion, will not be part of this line-up, but Toyota stressed that he remains part of the family and that he could still compete in some rallies on an individual basis.
Rovanperä limits himself to selected events
Rovanperä became the youngest champion in the championship’s history in 2022 at the age of 22, and after a year away he plans to contest only selected events. His planned move to Super Formula did not materialise due to illness, according to the source.
End of the Rally1 generation
The current generation of Rally1 cars ends at the end of 2026, as the championship’s organisers seek to make the top class cheaper and more accessible to new manufacturers.
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Sources
sport.ORF.at, Ex-Weltmeister Rovanperä und Tänak kehren zurück, 03.11.2026, https://sport.orf.at/stories/3164436/
