Toyota’s 2027 WRC Revolution Puts Ott Tänak Back in the Spotlight

The World Rally Championship (WRC) is preparing for one of the most significant transformations in its recent history, and Toyota has made a statement that could reshape the competitive landscape heading into the 2027 season. However, while the return of legendary names and the introduction of two new rally cars have attracted enormous attention, one particular decision is generating just as much discussion: the placement of Ott Tänak in Toyota’s ambitious new structure.

After spending the 2026 season away from full-time WRC competition, the 2019 world champion is officially preparing for a return with the manufacturer that helped him reach the top of the sport. Yet his comeback will not follow the path some supporters might have expected.

Toyota has confirmed that Tänak will compete with the new GR Yaris Rally1, while Elfyn Evans, Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari will represent Toyota Racing in the highly anticipated GR Celica Rally1.

The decision has immediately created an intriguing talking point among rally fans. Why would Toyota place one of its most experienced world champions in the Yaris programme rather than the returning Celica project?

Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala has now provided an important explanation, offering a closer look at the thinking behind the manufacturer’s unusual two-team strategy.

And his comments reveal that this decision was not simply about choosing which driver would get the newest or most historically significant car.

Jari-Matti Latvala Reveals How Toyota Made Its Decision

Latvala’s explanation provides a fascinating insight into how Toyota approached its driver allocation for the new WRC era.

According to the team principal, the decision was made internally rather than through discussions with the drivers themselves. Toyota considered each driver’s history, achievements and relationship with its existing machinery before establishing the two line-ups.

Tänak’s position was particularly straightforward from the team’s perspective.

The Estonian secured his first and only WRC drivers’ championship in 2019 behind the wheel of Toyota’s Yaris WRC. His previous success with the Japanese manufacturer provided a natural connection to the new GR Yaris Rally1 programme.

Latvala also pointed to Kalle Rovanperä’s two world championship titles with the Yaris as another reason for keeping the returning champions together within the same team structure.

The explanation challenges the idea that Toyota’s decision was necessarily a reflection of its confidence in one car over another.

Instead, the manufacturer appears to have considered its drivers’ previous achievements and the historical connections they share with particular models.

That distinction matters because the GR Celica name carries enormous emotional significance in rallying. Its return inevitably creates expectations, especially among supporters who remember Toyota’s successful campaigns during the 1990s.

However, Toyota’s approach suggests that the company wants to create two competitive identities rather than establish a clear hierarchy between its drivers.

Ott Tänak Returns to the Team Where He Became World Champion

For Tänak, the return to Toyota represents much more than another opportunity to compete at the highest level.

The Estonian driver and co-driver Martin Järveoja previously enjoyed one of the defining periods of their careers with the Japanese manufacturer. Their 2019 championship victory remains a major milestone in Toyota’s modern WRC history.

Their departure from the team at the end of that successful period eventually led Tänak to Hyundai, where he continued competing for victories and championship honours.

After announcing that he would step away from full-time competition following the 2025 season, Tänak spent 2026 outside the regular WRC driver line-up.

His absence, however, did not mean that his relationship with rallying had completely ended.

Toyota brought him into its development programme as the manufacturer prepared its next-generation machinery. This allowed the experienced Estonian to contribute to the development process while remaining connected to the sport.

His eventual return to the competitive line-up therefore represents the continuation of a relationship that had already started developing again behind the scenes.

Tänak has expressed his excitement about returning to the team with which he and Järveoja became world champions. He has also acknowledged the considerable work involved in understanding the new technical regulations and preparing for a completely different competitive environment.

For Toyota, bringing back a former champion with extensive knowledge of its engineering philosophy offers an important combination of experience and familiarity.

For Tänak, it creates an opportunity to demonstrate that his competitive ambitions remain strong after a season away from the championship.

The GR Celica Rally1 Gamble: Why Toyota Is Bringing Back an Iconic Name

The return of the Toyota Celica is arguably one of the most eye-catching developments ahead of the 2027 WRC season.

The name carries a remarkable legacy, particularly because of Toyota’s success during the 1990s. The original Celica rally cars helped establish the manufacturer as one of the most recognisable forces in international rallying.

Bringing the name back to the top category is therefore a decision with considerable historical and commercial significance.

However, the new GR Celica Rally1 is not simply an attempt to recreate the cars of the past.

It is being developed specifically for the next generation of WRC regulations, which are designed to make top-level rallying more accessible and reduce the financial barriers associated with competing in the championship.

Toyota has decided to introduce the Celica alongside a new GR Yaris Rally1, creating two separate teams under the same wider manufacturer operation.

The strategy is unusual because it gives Toyota the opportunity to promote two different vehicle identities while maintaining a large factory driver line-up.

But it also introduces a new challenge.

Both programmes will have to demonstrate their competitiveness on the stages, and supporters will inevitably compare their performances throughout the season.

The GR Celica carries the weight of history, while the GR Yaris has a more recent connection to Toyota’s championship success.

That creates an interesting dynamic even before the first competitive stage of 2027 begins.