10/11/2025

Oliver Solberg secures full-time Toyota WRC drive for 2026

Oliver Solberg will join Toyota’s World Rally Championship driver line-up for 2026, having secured a full-time drive with the Japanese manufacturer.

The 24-year-old was named as part of Toyota’s five driver line-up for next year, alongside Elfyn Evans, Sebastien Ogier, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari, effectively filling the seat vacated by Super Formula-bound two-time world rally champion Kalle Rovanpera.

Solberg had long been linked to a graduation back to rallying’s top tier with Toyota after he and co-driver Elliott Edmondson scored a stunning victory – Toyota’s 100th WRC win – at Rally Estonia in a one-off outing in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 car in July. Solberg quickly emerged as the favourite to replace Rovanpera after the Finn announced plans to embark on a career in single-seater racing next year.

Solberg’s graduation caps off an impressive 2025 that included winning the WRC2 title, driving a Printsport-prepared Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car.

“This year has been an absolutely incredible one for me as a part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing family. We achieved our main goal to win the WRC2 championship together and to do a fast and consistent season with the GR Yaris Rally2,” said Solberg, whose previous Rally1 experience came with Hyundai in 2022.

Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

“Then we got the opportunity to do Estonia in the Rally1 car, which was simply an amazing week. Now I have this chance to come back to the top level of WRC for a full season, so a lot of dreams have come true for me this year and Iʼm really grateful to be part of this great team. We need to be realistic because we still have a lot to learn with the Rally1 car, but weʼre going to have fun and do the best that we can.”

Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala added: “Itʼs a pleasure to welcome Oliver to the driver line-up on a full-time basis after the fantastic job he has done driving the GR Yaris Rally2 this year – and, of course, his amazing debut in our Rally1 car in Estonia. Along with Elfyn and Seb, who have both been driving extremely well in fighting for this yearʼs championship, as well as Takamoto, whoʼs shown this year that he can compete for victories, and Sami, who has been gaining valuable experience in his first full season at the highest level, we will once more have a strong driver line-up featuring a great mix of speed and experience.”

Toyota’s 2026 driver announcement arrives at a time when Evans, Ogier and Rovanpera remain in the hunt for the drivers’ title, with the brand having already secured its fifth consecutive manufacturers’ crown. Evans currently leads the title race by three points from Ogier, last weekend’s Rally Japan winner, while Rovanpera is 24 points back, ahead of the Saudi Arabia season finale later this month.

‘Weʼve enjoyed quite a lot of success together in that time, and 2025 has probably been one of our strongest years yet – both for the whole team and also for me on a personal level,” said Evans, who is set for his seventh consecutive full season at the team.

Elfyn Evans, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

Toyota’s driver announcement confirmed that Ogier will once again contest a partial programme that will include more than half the 2026 rounds, beginning at Monte Carlo in January.

“The plan next year will be the same for me as the last few seasons: to compete with a partial programme with the goal of helping the team to keep winning rallies and championships,” said Ogier.

Next year will also mark Katsuta’s seventh season with the team after a 2025 campaign where the Japanese has come close to scoring a breakthrough maiden win.

“This year there have been some strong rallies for me where we have been able to fight for the top places until the finish. There have also been some tough moments but I am sure that these will just make me stronger for the future,» said Katsuta.

After scoring a maiden WRC podium at last weekend’s Rally Japan, the team’s new signing for 2025, Pajari, is looking to build on his debut year in Rally1.

“I know we still have a lot of hard work ahead to get where we really want to be, which is to one day be fighting for championships, but Iʼm really looking forward to trying to improve upon what we did this year,” said Pajari.