TOYOTA GAZOO Racing claim third win of the season at Croatia Rally
09 May 2023
Toyota continues to lead the manufacturers’ championship by 29 points
The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) World Rally Team secured another victory in the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) recently to claim its third win of the season at Croatia Rally, with Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin taking first place in the No. 33 GR YARIS Rally1 Hybrid Electric Vehicle.
A well-managed drive enabled Evans and Martin to claim their fifth win for TGR amid challenging conditions around Zagreb, with the pair succeeding in finding the right balance between caution and speed to overcome frequent surface changes and mud and gravel on the road.
After gaining the lead during day three, Evans increased his advantage to 25.4 seconds in the evening and had extended the gap to over half a minute by the first of the final day’s four tests. This allowed a more cautious approach to the closing stages and enabled the No. 33 GR YARIS Rally1 Hybrid Electric Vehicle to finish the event with a winning margin of 27 seconds.
TGR’s Evans and Martin dedicated the win to their friend and fellow competitor Craig Breen, who tragically lost his life in the build-up to the event. Martin was previously co-driver to Breen between 2014 and 2018, and had claimed their first WRC podiums together. As a mark of solidarity, only two drivers per team were nominated as eligible to score manufacturers’ championship points during the race. TGR currently leads the field with a margin of 29 points.
Akio Toyoda, TGR-WRT Chairman, said: “Just before the Croatia Rally, we lost a driver who was our strong rival and also a precious friend of ours. I would like to extend my deepest condolences to Craig Breen’s family and team. I think all his fellow drivers and co-drivers competed thinking of him this weekend. For those of us who love rally and who always try to enjoy driving, his accident was a huge shock and a tragic incident. We must come up with and implement all the measures we can so that such a sad accident won’t happen again in the future.”
Toyoda continued: “I heard that Craig often talked about the importance of enjoying driving, and I believe Elfyn truly enjoyed driving this weekend. The sounds, smells, and power of running cars, the emotions involving drivers and co-drivers – I feel rallying is a sport that moves people. We hope to continue to deliver such excitement from the field of motorsport, and for that we will continue our ever-better car making.”
Over the years, Toyota has been participating in many different forms of motorsports, including Formula One, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race. Toyota’s participation in these events was overseen by separate entities within the company until April 2015, when Toyota established TGR, to consolidate all of its motorsports activities under one in-house brand. Representing Toyota’s belief that ‘the roads build the people, and the people build the cars,’ TGR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota’s commitment to making ‘ever-better’ cars. Harnessing years of experience gained under the extreme conditions of various motorsports events, TGR aims to forge new technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.
The WRC championship continues in May when Rally de Portugal begins a series of events on gravel. Based in Matosinhos near Porto in the north of the country, it features classic stages on sandy and rocky roads.
Race Notes:
- No. 33 GR YARIS Rally1 Hybrid Electric Vehicle (Elfyn Evans & Scott Martin)
- Position: 1st
- Time: 2h:50m:54s