Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) has been officially granted homologation by the FIA for its newly developed GR Yaris Rally2 machine and Sami Pajari has confirmed his 2024 WRC2 assault will be campaigned with the Japanese car for Printsport Racing.
After several championship successes in the WRC with the GR Yaris Rally1 hybrid, Toyota has sought to develop the GR Yaris Rally2 for customer rally racing and with homologation confirmed on January 4, shipment to customers can now proceed.
Development of the GR Yaris Rally2 has been long-gestating, with the car making its first public appearance at Rally Japan in 2022 with Chairman Akio Toyoda behind the wheel.
Since then, the newly homologated machine has covered over 15,000 competitive kilometres and been put through its paces in the likes of the Japanese Rally Championship.
Toyoda is hoping the GR Yaris Rally2 can bridge the gap between the GR Yaris Rally1 hybrid and the production roadgoing market, so it would seem the Japanese marque is employing the tried and tested tactic of win on Sunday, sell on Monday.
Toyoda’s ROOKIE Racing is set to receive a “commemorative” first shipment of the GR Yaris Rally2 and four teams will be fielding the machine in Rallye Monte Carlo at the end of the month.
Former FIA Junior WRC Champion Pajari confirmed he will be one of the names competing in the newly homologated GR Yaris Rally2 on Friday, January 5, as he makes the switch from Toksport to Printsport Racing for a 2024 WRC2 campaign with co-driver Enni Mälkönen.
The 22-year-old Finn has already got a taste of the GR Yaris Rally2, having tested it in France last year and is looking forward to racing it in competition in 2024.
“I am grateful to all our partners for the opportunity to continue my career in this new, exciting project,” Pajari said (via WRC.com).
“Special thanks go of course to my long-term supporters, such as our headline partner CapitalBox, who all greatly believe in me.
“It’s wonderful to see our cooperation continue.
“While Toyota has made winning cars in the past, I also believe in their vision for the future.
“That is why I really wanted to choose this car, especially now that I also had the unique opportunity to be among the first to drive it in a WRC event.
“Naturally it will be interesting to get to compare its performance to others in the first event.
“All in all, the opportunity is so wonderful that I decided to take it.”
Rallye Monte Carlo takes place January 25 – 28, with the majority of the event based in the Hautes-Alpes town of Gap.
