How successful Toyota's junior program can be is shown by Takamoto Katsuta. The Japanese driver began his rally career in the GR WRC Challenge Program and in 2026 won two rounds of the World Rally Championship for the first time. Now more talents are to follow his example.
The support program, originally aimed at Japanese junior drivers, was opened to international talents for the first time this year. Toyota is relying on a gradual development path from entry into rallying via Rally3 to WRC2.
Yamamoto remains in WRC2
Yuki Yamamoto has by now become one of the most experienced drivers in the program. In 2026 he contested numerous WRC rounds with the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 and was able to significantly increase his speed. At Rally Japan he finally achieved his first podium in WRC2. A program with selected WRC rounds is planned again for 2027.
"On some stages I was able to keep up with the best WRC2 drivers and set fastest times," Yamamoto reflects. At the same time he admits that mistakes and incidents prevented better results.
Vaher and Matsushita get more WRC entries
Jaspar Vaher and Takumi Matsushita have taken another step. Both completed 2026 their first season in the GR Yaris Rally2 and impressed with strong performances.
The young Estonian Vaher came to Toyota through the first international talent selection. After switching from a two-wheel-drive car to the Rally2 all‑wheel‑drive car he celebrated overall wins at the Rallye Ciudad de Pozoblanco in Spain and the Jyväskylä Ralli in Finland. In his WRC2 appearance on the fast stages of Rally Finland he finished fourth in class.
Matsushita also already achieved an overall victory. The Japanese driver won the Rali Terras d'Aboboreira in Portugal, despite it being only his third rally season.
Both have now been selected for an expanded WRC program in 2027. Additional entries in Europe and Japan are planned. To prepare, Vaher and Matsushita will already contest the Rallye du Dévoluy in the French Alps in December.
Support through the Toyota program ends for Shotaro Goto after three years. He will no longer be part of the funded driver lineup in 2027.
Japanese double success in Finland
Toyota also has successes to show in the Rally3 category. Rio Ogata and Kanta Yanaguida took 2026 the first two places in the SM2 classification of the Finnish Rally Championship. Ogata won the title after a close duel with his countryman and thus became the first Japanese driver to win a Finnish rally championship.
Both had only contested their first rallies within the development program in mid 2025. For 2027 further outings in Rally3 cars are planned. In addition, they are to compete more often in the WRC3 and gain experience on longer, more demanding World Championship rounds.
At the same time Ogata and Yanaguida will have the opportunity to get to know the GR Yaris Rally2 during test drives. In this way Toyota is already preparing the next career step.
The youngest participant in the program is Hiroya Minowa. The only 17-year-old originally comes from drifting and had no rally experience before joining in June. After six events in the Rally4 car, he moves up 2027 to the Rally3 category.
Because of his age Minowa will initially focus on events in Finland and the Baltic states. An expansion of his program later in the season is possible.
Latvala gets a new permanent co‑driver
Tomiya Maekawa will take on a special role. He is the only supported co-driver in the Toyota programme and will in 2027 more often team up with Jari-Matti Latvala at historic rallies.
Maekawa gained experience this year alongside Jarkko Nikara in Rally3 cars and has already competed in several historic events with Latvala in the Toyota Celica ST185.
Next year the focus will be on the FIA European Championship for historic rally cars. For Maekawa it will be his first international championship season as a co-driver.
