Toyota Gazoo Racing has kick-started its 2020 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) campaign with the car and drivers reveal at Tokyo Auto Salon.
A day after M-Sport Ltd revealed its 2020 WRC Ford Fiesta, Toyota took the stage at Auto Salon in Japan to unveil the Yaris for the new season alongside its drivers Sebastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanpera, with their co-drivers.
The Japanese outfit won the WRC drivers’ title in 2019 courtesy Ott Tanak but missed out on the manufacturers’ championship to Hyundai. They have a all-new line-up in 2020, where only Jari-Matti Latvala stays on, in a limited capacity.
The 2020 Yaris keeps the same colour scheme as it has for several WRC seasons, with red and white being dominant. Upon the launch, Team Principal Tommi Makinen, stated: “It is great to be in Japan to launch our season with our new drivers.
“We are really looking forward to the WRC returning to Japan this year, so it is nice to start the season here together with lots of Japanese car fans. On the outside, our car looks similar to before, and we are mostly keeping the same package that was strong in many different conditions last year.
“But we are always working to make some small improvements to make it even better, and we will go into this season with a lighter and more powerful car. I am confident that our talented new drivers will quickly feel comfortable and that we can aim high again this season.”
Here’s the M-Sport 2020 WRC car