Toyota Expands Participation in Rally Portugal with Ogier and Rovanpera

Toyota will increase its participation in the Rally of Portugal with four official cars, including part-time drivers Kalle Rovanpera and Sebastien Ogier. The reigning world champion team will compete with two of its part-time pairs in the same event for the first time this year, on Portugal's gravel roads from May 9 to 12.

Rovanpera, a two-time world champion, and Ogier, who has won the WRC title eight times, will drive the GR Yaris Rally1 cars alongside permanent drivers Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta. So far, Toyota had alternated races among its part-time drivers, with Ogier starting the year in Monte Carlo, where he finished second behind Thierry Neuville of Hyundai.

Ogier, who will return to the wheel in Croatia this week, won this event in 2021. "I enjoyed my time off since Monte-Carlo and I am happy to return to competition," said Ogier. "My testing last week was a good opportunity to get reacquainted with the car, on a demanding road: fast, with jumps and narrow sections. These features are also typical of the rally, though the weather can be variable at this time of year."

Ogier rejoins the Toyota team after missing the rounds in Sweden and Kenya, where Rovanpera took the helm of the third factory Yaris. Rovanpera withdrew from Sweden but bounced back to claim his twelfth WRC victory at the Safari Rally, where Toyota achieved a 1-2 finish with Katsuta in second place.

Portugal will be the third round of the year for Rovanpera, and his WRC schedule beyond that date is yet to be determined. He is expected to participate in the WRC's first visit to Latvia in July and his home round in Finland in August.