Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team secured a dominant one-two finish at the Croatia Rally, capping off a thrilling event with Sébastien Ogier claiming victory over teammate Elfyn Evans.
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Maintaining its flawless winning streak on the challenging asphalt event since its inclusion in the FIA World Rally Championship calendar in 2021, Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team showcased exceptional performance amidst the demanding stages around the Croatian capital, Zagreb.
The competition remained fierce, with the top two positions separated by less than 10 seconds throughout the weekend. Evans found himself tied for the lead with his main championship contender and Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville after Friday’s stages, while Ogier trailed by 6.6 seconds following an impressive final stage performance, overcoming challenges from running on dirtier roads further back in the pack.
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The Toyota Gazoo Racing duo maintained pressure, with Ogier seizing the lead on the final day amidst dramatic developments in the morning’s second stage, where both Neuville and Evans faced setbacks. Despite a spin, Evans managed to hold onto second place. Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais clinched their 59th victory and 100th podium of Ogier’s WRC career after finishing 9.7 seconds ahead of Evans and Scott Martin.
With a podium finish in three out of four rounds and outscoring his main rival on Sunday, Evans remains within striking distance of the drivers’ championship lead, trailing by just six points.
Takamoto Katsuta, alongside co-driver Aaron Johnston, showed improvement in pace and confidence throughout the rally, securing the top spot in the separate Super Sunday classification and finishing fifth overall. Thanks to the collective efforts of all three crews, Toyota Gazoo Raciing World Rally Team extended their lead in the manufacturers’ standings by seven points. In its second WRC event on asphalt, the GR Yaris Rally2 claimed third in its category and secured 10th place overall, with Sami Pajari and Enni Mälkönen showcasing impressive performance with four fastest times in their Printsport-run car.
In addition to the firm’s dominating performance in Croatia, back home at the opening round of the South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) in Mpumalanga, Toyota Gazoo Racing claimed first and second place, with SA legend Giniel de Villiers and co-pilot Elvene Vonk claiming victory at the SARRC and Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy claiming the second spot on the podium.
