Toyota Outlines 2015 Motorsports Activities, Announces Return to World Rally Championship

Toyota Outlines 2015 Motorsports Activities, Announces Return to World Rally Championship

Toyota City, Japan (January 30, 2015) ― Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) today announces its Toyota Racing, Lexus Racing and GAZOO Racing motorsports activities for 2015.

Toyota also announces that it will return to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2017, to compete in the series for the first time since 1999. The rally vehicle will be based on the "Yaris" hatchback and will be developed and tested by Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG).

Toyota views motorsports as an ideal medium for conveying the anticipation and excitement that driving can produce, and will strive to expand the reach of motorsports through to attract a wide range of car enthusiasts.

Toyota hopes to use these activities to hone its people, automobiles and technologies, and use the experience and expertise gained to develop ever-better cars.

Toyota Racing will continue to race in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and play a supporting role for teams competing in U.S. NASCAR, Japanese Super Formula and the Dakar Rally.

Lexus Racing will compete in Japan's top-level Super GT and provide the Lexus "RC F GT3" globally for use in grass-roots motorsports.

This year GAZOO Racing will again take part in the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race, as it has with a team of employees since 2007 with the aim of personnel development. It will now increase these activities by entering a staff team in the All Japan Rally Championship and having Toyota mechanics participate in Japan's Super Taikyu series. In addition to providing a full range of grass-roots motorsports events such as the GAZOO Racing 86/BRZ Race and GAZOO Racing "Waku-Doki" driving, it has also established a support program to nurture professional rally drivers.

Going forward, Toyota will continue to work together with its affiliates to promote activities for consumers to see, learn about and experience motorsports, thereby contributing to the creation of ever-better cars, satisfying the passion of car lovers and bringing the joy of cars to an even wider audience.

Outline of Toyota's 2015 Motorsports Activities

1. Toyota Racing

Toyota Racing will continue to race in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Last year, when it became possible to fully utilize the maximum potential of the hybrid system, the newcomer "TS040 Hybrid" won five out of eight races, winning the manufacturers' and drivers' world titles. This year, the fourth year of participation, Toyota Racing will enhance its full-hybrid powertrain—the Toyota Hybrid System-Racing (THS-R)—aiming to win this year's titles again and, for the first time, win the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours (held June 13–14).

In the United States, Toyota will continue to compete in all three categories of the NASCAR racing series. It will make its ninth consecutive-year appearance in the Sprint Cup Series, the pinnacle of NASCAR racing, with the aim of taking the Drivers' Championship title for the first time.

At the Dakar Rally held in South America in January this year, Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd.'s Toyota Land Cruiser 200 finished in first and second places in the production vehicle division for the second consecutive year.

In Japanese Super Formula, a new engine, RI4A, was entered. The engine meets new regulations, and propelled both the driver and team to titles. This year, Toyota Racing will further enhance engine function with the aim of earning more titles, while Toyota Racing will also enter a Toyota "Prius" in the Super GT GT300-class.

1) FIA World Rally Championship (starting in 2017)

- Toyota has started preparations for its return in 2017, judging this event to be a leading stage to promote its ever-better-cars activities.

- Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) is developing and testing the engine and vehicle, which is based on the Yaris.

- Between 1973 and 1999 (with a temporary suspension between 1996 and 1997), Toyota won 43 WRC rallies and won the championship three times.

Drivers for the 2017 competition are as yet undecided.

Morizo Test Drives Toyota Yaris WRC

Toyota Returns to WRC

2) FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)

- Toyota will compete in the eight FIA-sanctioned world endurance championship races continued from 2012.

- Highlights of the series include: Le Mans 24-hour race (June 13-14), the third race of the series; and the 6 Hours of Fuji race (October 10-11), the sixth race of the series.

- Toyota Racing plans to race further improved TS040 Hybrid vehicles from TMG. Toyota is currently applying to field two vehicles in all eight races.

- The THS-R powertrain, developed at Toyota's Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Japan, incorporates last year's V8 engine and front and rear motors/generators to better power all wheels. Toyota plans to utilize the advanced hybrid technologies obtained from these activities in its mass-production hybrid vehicles.

- All vehicles will be equipped with Michelin tires.

- Anthony Davidson and Sébastien Buemi, who won the drivers' championship last season, join Kazuki Nakajima in car No. 1, while Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Mike Conway will race in car No. 2.

- Kazuki Nakajima, who was unable to compete in all WEC races last season due to other racing commitments, is scheduled to compete in all eight WEC races.

3) NASCAR

- Toyota will once again compete in all the NASCAR racing series races through Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) and Toyota Racing Development, U.S.A. (TRD-USA).

- Like last year, Toyota will enter a Toyota "Camry" both in the Sprint Cup Series and in the Xfinity Series, and a Toyota "Tundra" in the Camping World Truck Series.

- All vehicles in every race category will be fitted with Goodyear tires.

NASCAR National Series Racing Teams

4) Dakar Rally

- Toyota supported Toyota Auto Body, Co., Ltd.'s Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body (TLC), which races with Toyota "Land Cruiser 200" vehicles.

- At the Dakar Rally 2015, the team's two vehicles finished in first and second place in the production vehicle division, for the second consecutive year.

5) Japanese Championship Super Formula

- For the top category of Japanese formula car races, Toyota has developed a two-liter four-cylinder RI4A direct-injection gasoline turbo engine, which it is supplying for 10 vehicles in six teams.

- All vehicles will be equipped with Bridgestone tires.

- In 2015, Kamui Kobayashi, a graduate of the Toyota Young Drivers Program, will return.

6) Super GT GT300 Class

Toyota Racing will compete in the GT300 class with a Toyota "Prius" hybrid.

7) Driver Development in Japan

(1) Toyota Young Drivers Program

This program is aimed at cultivating young drivers who hope to compete in top racing categories throughout the world. It is dedicated to identifying new talent and helping participants improve their driving and racing skills.

List of Toyota Young Drivers Program Drivers for 2015

Toyota Young Drivers Program Graduates Driving in 2015

(2) Formula Toyota Racing School in Japan (August 10–13, 2015)

Formula Toyota Racing School provides a way for Toyota to conduct driving education and expand its motorsports foundation through the discovery and cultivation of Japanese racing drivers able to compete in top racing categories around the world. Support for race participation will be provided in 2016 and onward to the participants deemed to have the greatest driving potential.

(3) Japanese FIA-F4

From this year, Toyota Racing will support young drivers competing in the Japanese FIA-F4 entry class formula category, with seven events and 14 races.

2. Lexus Racing

1) Super GT GT500 Class

Continuing from 2014, Lexus Racing will compete in the GT500 class, the top category of Japanese car racing, with the Lexus "RC F" with a two-liter four-cylinder RI4AG direct-injection gasoline turbo engine. Support is provided by Toyota Technocraft Co., Ltd.

*BS = Bridgestone; YH = Yokohama Tire

2) Developing Vehicles for Private Team Racing

Lexus Racing will develop an RC F GT3 based on the Lexus RC F for the global stage, to promote grass-roots motorsports and convey Lexus' sporting image. This first year, a total of three vehicles will be built for Japan and Europe. In Japan, the LM Corsa team is scheduled to race in the Super GT GT300 class, which will compete with the RC F GT3.

3) New Lexus Racing logo

Lexus Racing's logo has been redesigned to globally promote Lexus' sports image and the brand's "F" and "F Sport" vehicles.