Oliver Solberg will replace Rovanperä at Toyota in 2026

Toyota Gazoo Racing has confirmed that Oliver Solberg will contest the 2026 World Rally Championship season with the team, making the 24-year-old driver the fifth member of the squad for next year. Solberg will take the place being vacated by Kalle Rovanperä, who announced his retirement from the WRC at the end of 2025 to compete in Japanese Super Formula.

The Definitive Return After Estonia

Solberg's promotion to Rally1 comes after a dominant season in the 2025 WRC2 with the GR Yaris Rally2, where he won the title, and especially after his overall victory at the Rally Estonia last July. In that event, Toyota gave him the wheel of the GR Yaris Rally1 as a replacement for Sébastien Ogier, who had decided not to participate in the Estonian rally. Solberg seized the opportunity and defeated Ott Tänak by 25.2 seconds on his return to the top category after almost three years.

Photo By TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

The son of Petter Solberg had previously competed in Rally1 during 2022 with Hyundai, achieving a best result of fourth place in Ypres before returning to WRC2. His 2025 season with Toyota marked a turning point: five wins in seven scoring rounds of WRC2 and that memorable victory in Estonia which catapulted him back onto the radar of the top teams.

Complete Line-up for 2026

For 2026, Toyota will retain Elfyn Evans for his seventh consecutive season with the team and Sébastien Ogier in his usual partial program, which will include more than half of the events on the calendar. Takamoto Katsuta will continue in his development role after his promising second-place finishes in Sweden and Finland this year, while Sami Pajari will enter his second full season in Rally1.

"It's a pleasure to welcome Oliver to the line-up after the fantastic job he has done with the GR Yaris Rally2 this year, and of course, his incredible debut with our Rally1 car in Estonia," stated team principal Jari-Matti Latvala.

Toyota's 2026 setup combines experience and youth. Evans and Ogier bring the necessary veteran experience to fight for titles, while Solberg, Pajari, and Katsuta form a new generation that has already demonstrated the ability to win at the highest level.

Photo By TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

International Expansion of the Challenge Program

In parallel, the TGR WRC Challenge Program will expand its horizons in 2026 by including a non-Japanese driver for the first time. Jaspar Vaher, an 18-year-old from Estonia, will join the program after impressing the instructors in a global selection held in Finland.

Yuki Yamamoto will complete a full WRC season with the GR Yaris Rally2, including seven rounds in WRC2, while Shotaro Goto and Takumi Matsushita will move up from Rally3 to compete in the Rally2 category.

Photo By TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

Toyota's decision to bet on Solberg shows the confidence in a driver who has demonstrated speed in both Rally2 and Rally1. His victory in Estonia was his first overall achievement in the WRC, but also a statement of intent that now materializes in this contract for 2026.

With this line-up, Toyota aims to continue its leadership in the Manufacturers' Championship while developing the next generation of world rally drivers. The team made the announcement after confirming its ninth consecutive constructors' title in 2025, a season in which Evans and Ogier were involved in an intense internal battle for the drivers' championship alongside Kalle Rovanperä, who will leave the WRC at the end of the year to compete in Japanese Super Formula.