MOTORSPORT: Toyota Yaris for 2014 WRC
After a 13-year break Japan's biggest manufacturer is working on a return to world rallying in 18 months, as well as pressing on trying to win Le Mans with its hybridsOfficial blessing for short challenger to Citroen, Ford, Mini and VW
Toyota is set to return to the World Rally Championship in 2014 -- with its Yaris. The world governing Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has given the manufacturer a waiver for the Yaris, which is 150mm shorter than the sport's regulations prescribe.
Toyota Is already working on an engine and chassis at its European motorsport base in Cologne, Germany, in preparation to challenge dominant Citroen, long-time participant Ford, the half-hearted Mini campaign, and Volkswagen -- which is entering the WRC next year.
Toyota won four WRC titles in the 1990s -- with Spaniard Carlos Sainz in 1990 and '92, Finn Juha Kankkunen in '93 and Frenchman Didier Auriol in '94. After controversy over an illegal turbocharger it withdrew from the WRC at the end of that decade.
Ford's rally boss Malcolm Wilson has welcomed Toyota's return. "We want to see as many manufacturers as possible in the WRC," Wilson said. "It's also really important to have a Japanese manufacturer involved."
Having aborted its hugely costly and unsuccessful Formula One campaign in 2009, Toyota this year returned to endurance sports car racing at the Le Mans 24-Hour in France. Despite the disappointment of neither of its petrol hybrids finishing that classic as Audi continued its domination, the Japanese giant is committed to its Le Mans program for at least another two years.
Toyota Motorsport president Yoshiaki Kinoshita said it would be possible for the manufacturer to run two racing programs.
"The future is unknown but we need to prepare the rally project," Kinoshita said. “If we have a very good situation we can do both.
"We hope we are ready (for the WRC) in 2014. The target is the WRC, but we need several steps. Because we stopped rallying in 1999 there is no know-how inside the company. What we need is to prepare engines and build up our knowledge again."
Meanwhile, dual world champion Marcus Gronholm has been in a "pretty serious" condition in a Los Angeles hospital since crashing into a pole there in practice for the X Games. While 44-year-old Gronholm is improving he has remained in hospital longer than anticipated.
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