TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Seals Victory with One-two Finish at Acropolis Rally

Dubai, UAE – 14 September 2023: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) has recently achieved a one-two finish in Acropolis Rally, another demanding edition of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Reigning world champion Kalle Rovanperä secured first place alongside co-driver Jonne Halttunen in the No.69 GR YARIS Rally1 Hybrid Electric vehicle, increasing his championship lead. Elfyn Evans’ performance alongside co-driver Scott Martin in the No. 33 GR YARIS Rally1 Hybrid Electric vehicle secured him the second place in the rally.

The GR YARIS Rally1 Hybrid Electric vehicle emerged victorious against wide-ranging conditions, from thick mud to rough and rocky terrain, as the weather dried out after torrential rain. Day three, the longest day of the rally, proved particularly challenging for drivers, cars, and tires, with several competitors hitting trouble.

Reigning world champion Rovanperä managed to avoid issues while setting a string of fastest times to gain a lead of more than two minutes at the end of the third day. That allowed him to take a safety-first approach to day four’s first two stages ahead of the rally-ending Power Stage, where he set the best time by 2.5 seconds to claim five additional bonus points. The season’s third win and maximum score for Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen increases Rovanperä’s drivers’ championship lead to 33 points ahead of Elfyn Evans.

TGR-WRT’s one-two finish and maximum score in both the rally and the Power Stage also increases Toyota’s lead in the manufacturers’ championship to 91 points with three WRC 2023 rounds remaining.

Akio Toyoda, TGR-WRT Chairman, commented: “Kalle, Jonne, congratulations on your victory! Elfyn, Scott, thank you for achieving the one-two finish! TGR-WRT is a field-oriented team. When I was in Finland last month as an alternative Team Principal, I was able to see the work of team members up close. If something happens, a person who is an expert in the field makes a judgment and the management members support that. TGR-WRT is built to work like that. All team members will keep making efforts in each field to be able to smile again in November in Japan. Thank you all for working hard in Greece!”

Over the years, Toyota has been participating in many different forms of motorsports, ‎including Formula One, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the Nürburgring 24 ‎Hours endurance race. Toyota’s participation in these events was overseen by separate ‎entities within the company until April 2015, when Toyota established GR ‎to consolidate all of its motorsports activities under one in-house brand. Representing ‎Toyota’s belief that ‘the roads build the people, and the people build the cars,’ TGR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota’s commitment to ‎making ‘ever-better’ cars. Harnessing years of experience gained under the extreme ‎conditions of various motorsports events, TGR aims to forge new ‎technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.

The next round of the 2023 FIA WRC is Rally Chile in South America from 28 September to 1 October.

Race Notes:
No. 69 GR YARIS Rally1 Hybrid Electric vehicle (Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen
Position: 1st
Time: 3:00:16.7

No.33 GR YARIS Rally1 Hybrid Electric vehicle (Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin)
Position: 2nd
Time: 3:01:48.4 (+1m31.7s)