ELFYN Evans and co-driver Scott Martin, winners of last weekend’s Rally Japan, will continue for their sixth successive season team Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team next year.
The team has presented its line-up for the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship season as it further strengthens its squad of drivers with a mix of young talent and title-winning experience.
The 35-year-old Dolgelalu driver said: “I’m very happy to continue with TGR-WRT next year.
“Since 2020 we’ve had some great seasons together, and although 2024 could have been even more successful, I know that there’s still a lot of potential in the team and I feel I have plenty more to give as well.
“So I’m looking forward to continuing our partnership. We know that we need to keep working hard together and hopefully we can achieve more good results in the future.”
After winning eight out of 13 rallies in 2024 and claiming a fourth consecutive manufacturers’ championship at the season-ending Rally Japan, TGR-WRT will enter 2025 with the mission to defend its crown and fight for the drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles.
It will be able to count on an expanded line-up of cars and drivers, with four or five GR Yaris Rally1 entries set to appear on each event.
Joining the team to start his first full season at the highest level will be Sami Pajari, following an impressive 2024 season in which he won the WRC2 drivers’ championship driving the GR Yaris Rally2 car and performed well in his first three outings in Rally1 machinery in Finland, Chile and Central Europe.
The 22-year-old from Finland’s promotion demonstrates TGR-WRT’s commitment to developing young drivers as well as the GR Yaris Rally2’s role in providing a pathway to the top of the sport.
Pajari, who will confirm the identity of his co-driver in due course, is one of four drivers who are set to feature on every rally.
Double world champions Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen will return to competing full-time with the team in 2025 after taking four wins from seven starts during a partial campaign this year.
Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston are also returning for another year.
Eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais will once more contest a partial schedule of selected events after scoring three victories this season.
TGR-WRT is pleased to confirm that Jari-Matti Latvala will continue in the role of Team Principal.
In the last four seasons, in addition to overseeing numerous victories and championship titles, Latvala has been a trusted associate for the team’s drivers while also helping to identify and develop new talent such as Pajari.
Latvala said: “The 2024 season presented new challenges for our team, but we continued to perform at a high level and kept fighting until the final day to successfully retain our manufacturers’ title.
“For 2025, we are really happy to continue with the same drivers who have been performing strongly for us over recent seasons, and to have more drivers strengthening our efforts for the full championship. It’s also great to welcome Sami Pajari to our line-up thanks to the investment that we are making to develop young drivers.
“Sami has made great steps this year and we are confident that he’s ready to move up to the highest level.”