Gazoo Racing World Rally Team (GR-WRT) triumphed at Acropolis Rally Greece, with Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais seizing victory in the No. 1 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 after a decisive final day. Teammates Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston completed a double podium finish for the team thanks to their third-place win in the No. 18 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1. The result extends Toyota’s lead in the FIA World Rally Championship manufacturers’ standings to 140 points.
Akio Toyoda, GR-WRT Chairman, commented: “Seb and Vincent, thank you for securing a great comeback win on the final day! Winning Super Sunday, winning the Power Stage, taking the maximum points, and climbing to third in the championship standings… that’s the Seb and Vincent we all know. Takamoto, congratulations on another podium in third place. This season, we have seen you on the podium in half of the rallies so far. I am looking forward to seeing more of you in the second half of the season.
Toyoda added: One of my favourite memories from Rally Japan was Seb coming over to talk with me. Looking at this result, I’d be very happy if our conversation in that moment played even a small part in helping him achieve it. I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do in the second half of the season. Keep pushing! Thank you very much, everyone on the team!”
Held on the rocky mountain roads of central Greece in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, Acropolis Rally Greece once again lived up to its reputation, combining extremely rough terrain with punishing conditions that placed constant pressure on vehicles, tyres, and crews throughout the event.
Starting the rally among the first five cars on the road due to their strong championship positions, the GR-WRT crews faced the added challenge of clearing a racing line through the loose gravel for those running behind. Ogier and Landais made the most of their road position to finish the opening day within 10 seconds of the lead before reducing the gap to just 4.1 seconds by the end of the second full day.
The pair moved into the lead after setting the fastest time on the opening stage of the final day before extending their advantage in the rally’s penultimate stage. They went on to top both the Power Stage and Super Sunday classifications to secure victory by 58.3 seconds, earning the maximum score of 35 points. The result marks Ogier’s 69th career WRC victory and his second win at Acropolis Rally Greece.
Katsuta and Johnston took third place overall after climbing from ninth place over the course of the rally. Running second on the road on the opening day, they avoided major trouble before steadily working their way onto the podium to complete Toyota’s double podium finish.
Following Acropolis Rally Greece, Toyota has extended its lead in the manufacturers’ championship to 140 points. GR-WRT crews now occupy the top five positions in the drivers’ standings, with Evans leading the championship ahead of Katsuta, Ogier, Pajari, and Solberg.
Toyota’s motorsports history dates back over 60 years. Reflecting the concept that ‘Roads build people and cars,’ Toyota has competed in a wide range of motorsport disciplines worldwide. Its major successes, achieved under the most extreme conditions, together with the hard-won knowledge and technical insights they have yielded, continue to serve as the foundation for building ‘ever-better’ cars. GAZOO Racing competes in top-level motorsport categories such as the FIA World Rally Championship, as well as in customer motorsport activities using production vehicles.
Round nine of the 2026 FIA WRC is Rally Estonia (July 17-19), held on fast gravel stages combining wide and narrow sections. The generally soft and sandy surface can become heavily rutted on the second pass.
Race Notes:
- 1 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 (Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais)
- Position: 1st
- Time: 3 hours, 36 minutes, and 40.7 seconds
- 18 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 (Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston)
- Position: 3rd
- Time: 3 hours, 39 minutes, and 45.5 seconds (+ 3m,4.8s)
