TOYOTA WANTS COMPETITION FROM MORE JAPANESE MAKES
Manufacturer boss wants mitsubishi and subaru to return tot hewrc
Toyota Motor Corporation president Akio Toyoda wants to recreate classic World Rally Championship battles with Japanese rivals Mitsubishi and Subaru.
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport News, Toyoda outlined his hopes that a world championship return to Japan would be enough to tempt those former WRC titans back to the table to compete against his Toyota Gazoo Racing squad.
Toyoda, below right, said: “Toyota is the only [Japanese manufacturer] participating in the WRC, we used to have Mitsubishi and Subaru with us. Toyota’s challenge is stimulating all rally fans – just like I saw it would when I went to Finland [in 2014].
“Many fans remember Toyota, Subaru and Mitsubishi and I hope the WRC coming to Japan will stimulate not only Toyota, but all the manufacturers – we would like to see them back. I want to support this [return]. This is what Gazoo Racing is about, we are not only thinking to Toyota, we are working for the good of the sport.
“For now, we don’t have a WRC event in Japan. When I looked up to the sky from the podium [in Finland], I imagined another view of the three national flags flying in our other home in Japan. I strongly hope again that we could see this day.”
Now in the second year of its WRC return, Toyoda wants to see Toyota in rallying for the long-term. It departed the sport’s highest level in 1999 in the pursuit of Formula 1 success, but failed to secure a single race win in eight years. Now, under the guidance of Tommi Makinen, Toyota has already secured four victories with the Yaris WRC.
“I hope Toyota stays in rallying [for a] long time,” said Toyoda. “Sometimes Toyota depends on economical reasons, but to me the main objective to participate in this kind of rally activity is to make ever-better cars – that’s the only objective we have. The road makes cars and the road on the WRC is very, very tough. If we compete against our rivals and compete and communicate then that makes ever-better cars for Toyota.
“Also we want to make more fans for Toyota. We continue with those objectives and that makes this activity sustainable.”
Toyoda praised Makinen’s progress, going from a standing start with Toyota’s Finnish-based WRC return just three years ago.
Toyoda said: “When I first met Tommi Makinen, he was not experienced in Toyota cars, he was a world champion with Mitsubishi and [had WRC experience with] Subaru. He knows all cars except Toyota. In our first meeting, he taught me to drive and I wanted to learn from him, now I think Toyota can learn from him.
“I still remember four years ago when I came here. Volkswagen was the major team and Toyota had not participated in WRC in 18 years. At that time, I saw there were still people who remembered the last time Toyota was here participating in rallying. I felt very happy about that and when I was here I decided we had to come back.
“This time when I come back to Finland, I am very surprised. After two years we see so many fans for Toyota Gazoo Racing. I visited some stages and so many red flags for Estonian and Finnish flags; I feel this is really home, maybe even more than our home country in Japan. I really appreciate that feeling.
“When I visited some of the places in the forest I saw many people looking at me and I feel a little bit fearful, did I do something wrong? But they are very big fans of Toyota – they tell me: ‘I love Yaris, I am driving this car.’ This connection between road and rally car is very important.”