World champions Sebastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanpera will contest Rally Chile to help Toyota secure the WRC title.
The Japanese manufacturer will field four GR Yaris Rally1 cars for the final gravel event of the season, which will take place in the South American nation from 26 to 29 September.
Ogier and Rovanpera have both contested partial programmes this season, although it looks like the former could take part in 10 of the 13 events this year. Last month, Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala asked Ogier to commit to the remainder of the season.
The Frenchman is currently Toyota’s best hope of securing the drivers’ title, with the eight-time world champion sitting 27 points adrift of championship leader Thierry Neuville (Hyndai) ahead of this weekend’s Acropolis Rally, having secured three wins (Croatia, Portugal, Finland) and three second-place finishes (Monte Carlo, Sardinia, Latvia) in his 2024 campaign.
Rovanpera’s outing in Chile will be his seventh of the season, having won in Kenya, Poland and Latvia. Last time out, the Finn was on course for a fourth win in Finland before losing the lead on the penultimate stage.
The decision to add Ogier and Rovanpera to the Chilean line-up, which includes full-time drivers Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, should help Toyota close the gap on rivals Hyundai in the fight for the manufacturers’ title.
Toyota enters this weekend’s event in Greece 20 points behind Hyundai, despite having won six of the nine rallies so far.
Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photo by: Toyota Racing
The Rally Chile entry list has been confirmed as Esapekka Lappi returns to the Koreans to drive the third i20 N Rally1. The Finn started the season with a win in Sweden but has failed to secure top-10 finishes in his last three outings in Kenya, Latvia and Finland.
It has already been confirmed that M-Sport-Ford will expand its field for the event to three cars, with Martins Sesks returning to a non-hybrid version of the Ford Puma. The Latvian, who finished fifth in Poland and seventh in Latvia, will join regular drivers Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster.
WRC2 championship leader Oliver Solberg will join rival Yohan Rossel in the 45-car entry for Rally Chile.
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