A New Era Begins for Elfyn Evans as Toyota Makes a Bold WRC 2027 Decision

The pressure is rising at Toyota Gazoo Racing, and for newly crowned World Rally Championship champion Elfyn Evans, the next chapter of his career could become one of the most demanding challenges he has ever faced.

After finally achieving his long-awaited dream of becoming WRC Drivers’ Champion in 2026, Evans is entering a completely different environment. Instead of simply defending his championship with familiar machinery and an established team structure, the Welsh driver is preparing to lead Toyota Racing into a new technical era, with the return of one of the most iconic names in rally history: the GR Celica Rally1.

Toyota has officially confirmed a major restructuring of its WRC operation for 2027, announcing two separate teams, two different car models and a six-driver factory line-up. The decision represents an ambitious attempt to strengthen the manufacturer’s position while introducing an entirely new competitive identity.

However, the announcement has also created an important question. Can Toyota successfully manage two teams, two cars and several championship-calibre drivers without creating unnecessary internal pressure?

For Evans, the challenge is particularly significant. He will lead Toyota Racing alongside Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari, while another formidable group featuring Ott Tänak, Kalle Rovanperä and Takamoto Katsuta will compete under the GAZOO Racing TOYOTA banner.

The strategy looks powerful on paper, but the reality of managing such an ambitious operation could be considerably more complicated.

And with the 2027 regulations approaching, Toyota has very little time to make sure everything works as intended.

Elfyn Evans Finally Gets His Championship — But the Pressure Is Far From Over

For years, Elfyn Evans was one of the most consistent competitors in the World Rally Championship without managing to secure the ultimate prize.

The Welshman had finished runner-up on five previous occasions, repeatedly finding himself close to the championship without being able to complete the job.

That changed in 2026.

Together with co-driver Scott Martin, Evans finally secured the Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ World Championship titles after an intense season-long battle. His eventual victory was particularly dramatic, with Oliver Solberg finishing just five points behind and Sami Pajari only six points adrift.

It was a championship victory built on consistency, determination and the ability to survive difficult moments when the pressure was at its highest.

But winning the title has not made Evans’ next assignment any easier.

In fact, his responsibilities are about to increase considerably.

For the 2027 season, Evans will enter his eighth consecutive full campaign with Toyota. His experience, technical understanding and long-standing relationship with the manufacturer make him a natural choice to lead the new Toyota Racing project.

Yet being the team’s leading driver is different from simply being its fastest competitor.

Evans will be expected to help develop the new GR Celica Rally1, provide valuable technical feedback, establish a competitive direction and maintain his own championship ambitions.

Toyota needs him to deliver results while adapting to a completely new generation of rally machinery.

That combination creates a difficult balancing act.

His own comments following Toyota’s announcement highlighted the scale of the transition. Evans acknowledged that the new car would be very different from what the drivers had previously experienced, with considerable work required to adapt and extract its full potential.

His message was positive, but it also revealed that the team understands how much preparation remains.

The 2026 championship may have delivered the breakthrough Evans spent years chasing. However, defending that achievement could become an even greater test.

The GR Celica Rally1 Returns — And Toyota Is Putting Its Future on the Line

One of the biggest developments surrounding Toyota’s 2027 plans is the return of the Celica name to the World Rally Championship.

For rally fans, this is much more than a new model announcement.

The Celica played a major role in Toyota’s historic success during the 1990s, helping establish the Japanese manufacturer as one of the most recognisable forces in international rallying.

Its return carries enormous historical significance, particularly as the WRC prepares to enter a new technical era.

However, Toyota is not simply bringing back a famous name for nostalgic reasons.

The new GR Celica Rally1 will become the competition car for Toyota Racing, with Evans, Solberg and Pajari forming its initial factory driver line-up.

The project is being developed alongside the new GR Yaris Rally1, which will be used by the second Toyota squad.

Both cars are being designed under the same new FIA WRC technical regulations, with Toyota confirming that they will share the same underlying performance specifications.

That detail is particularly important.

The Celica and Yaris are not intended to compete with fundamentally different levels of performance. Instead, Toyota is introducing two distinct body styles and team identities while maintaining equal technical potential.

The manufacturer wants to explore different development directions without sacrificing its ability to fight for victories.

Nevertheless, introducing an entirely new competition car creates challenges that cannot be solved simply by having a strong driver line-up.

Engineers must understand how the new package behaves across different surfaces, how its components respond under extreme conditions and how effectively the car can be adapted to the demanding characteristics of each rally.

Evans and his teammates will be central to that process.

Every test session, every technical adjustment and every stage simulation could provide information that influences Toyota’s competitiveness throughout 2027.

For the defending champion, the GR Celica Rally1 is therefore more than a new car.

It represents the machinery with which he must attempt to protect his position at the top of the championship.

Toyota’s Two-Team Strategy: A Brilliant Masterstroke or a Risky Gamble?

Toyota’s decision to operate two separate teams with two different Rally1 models is arguably the most controversial strategic development ahead of the 2027 WRC season.

The manufacturer has confirmed that Toyota Racing will campaign the GR Celica Rally1, while GAZOO Racing TOYOTA will compete with the new GR Yaris Rally1.

Both operations will remain under the wider TGR-WRT structure and continue working from the team’s headquarters in Jyväskylä, Finland.

On paper, the arrangement offers several advantages.

Toyota will have six factory crews available, significantly expanding its competitive presence across the championship. It will also benefit from feedback provided by an impressive collection of experienced drivers and emerging winners.

However, the strategy also introduces a complicated management challenge.

Running two teams means coordinating separate competitive identities, driver requirements, engineering priorities and development programmes.

Even if both cars share the same underlying technical performance, the different body configurations could create distinct development demands.

Toyota must ensure that neither programme becomes a distraction from its primary objective: winning championships.

The biggest concern is not necessarily whether the GR Celica or GR Yaris will be faster.

Toyota has stated that both cars will have equal power and performance under the new regulations.

The more important question is whether the manufacturer can maintain a consistent development direction while supporting two separate groups of drivers.

There is also the issue of internal competition.

With six factory drivers, including multiple world champions and several recent rally winners, Toyota has assembled a line-up containing an extraordinary amount of talent.

That strength could become one of its greatest advantages.

But it could also create difficult decisions when championship opportunities, team priorities and development resources become more complicated.

Toyota is effectively creating a situation in which several of its own drivers could become direct rivals for the same championship.

For Evans, this means the challenge will not simply involve competing against Hyundai and other manufacturers.

He must also remain competitive within an organisation filled with drivers who have already demonstrated their ability to win at the highest level.