Toyota Gazoo Racing clinched its sixth consecutive WRC manufacturers' championship at Rally Chile Biobío on September 13, with two rounds remaining. The crown is Toyota's tenth overall, tying Lancia's all-time record and matching the Italian marque's six-year title run from 1987 to 1992.
Solberg leads a Toyota one-two in Chile
Oliver Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson led a Toyota one-two on the Chilean gravel, finishing in 2h57m08.2s with Sébastien Ogier 16.6 seconds behind. Adrien Fourmaux took third for Hyundai at +33.3s, ahead of Sami Pajari (+1m33.9s) and Elfyn Evans (+2m22.3s) in the other GR Yaris Rally1s — four Toyotas in the top five.
After round 12 of 14, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT leads the manufacturers' standings with 614 points, ahead of Hyundai on 410. The separately entered Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 has 227, and M-Sport Ford has 152.
The supporting numbers are the ones that explain the margin. Per Toyota's release, the result in Chile was the GR Yaris Rally1's 11th win from 12 rallies this season, and its eighth one-two finish.
Katsuta's second straight opening-stage setback
Takamoto Katsuta arrived in Chile with a new name beside him. With Aaron Johnston sidelined by injury, James Fulton took the co-driver's seat for the first time, and the pairing started well: fastest in Thursday's shakedown.
Then SS1 undid it. Around 6.2 km into the opening stage, the rear of the GR Yaris stepped out in mud and the car came to rest beached at the side of the road. With no spectators on hand to help push it clear, Katsuta retired from Friday's leg. It was his second retirement in as many rallies, after crashing out of Paraguay on SS21 — though in Chile, unlike in Paraguay, there was still a rally left to rejoin.
He restarted on Saturday and ran to the finish, classified 36th overall. Toyota's report credits him with two points from the Power Stage. In comments published by Autosport Web after Saturday's stages, Katsuta thanked the team for its support and advice following Friday's retirement.
The overall result is meaningless on its own. What Chile did produce for Katsuta and Fulton is the thing a shakedown time cannot: competitive stage mileage together.
The drivers' title is still open
Toyota's manufacturers' trophy is decided. The drivers' championship is not: Evans leads on 230 points, Pajari is 17 behind on 213, and Solberg is 21 off the lead on 209. Toyota's release names Rally Italia Sardegna on October 1–4 as the next round, an autumn date for the event for the first time since 2020.