TOYOTA'S TOTAL ECLIPSE: EVANS LEADS HISTORIC HOME VICTORY AT THE 2026 RALLY JAPAN

 

Toyota City, Aichi, Japan: Let’s get one thing straight immediately: the move to May changed the weather, but it didn't change the script.

They promised us a springtime revolution for the 2026 FORUM8 Rally Japan. 

They gave us humidity thick enough to chew on, "boiling hot" tarmac, and a service park in Toyota City that felt less like a global sporting event and more like a private garden party for Toyota Gazoo Racing.

And what a party it was.

Elfyn Evans didn't just win this rally; he managed a velvet-rope procession. Leading a crushing 1-2-3-4 lockout for the home team, Evans played the cool, calculating architect of a result that will have the board members in Aichi popping corks until Christmas.

Make no mistake, this was a demolition.

The Official Final Classification: Top 5 Finishers

1. Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin (Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT)
2. Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais (Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT) 
3. Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen (Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT) 
4. Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston (Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT)
5. Adrien Fourmaux / Alexandre Coria (Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT) 

Friday: The Ditch and the Duel

The narrative on Friday morning was supposed to be about Takamoto Katsuta. The home hero. The man with the weight of a nation on his shoulders. It lasted exactly until the first loop of the Asuke stage.

Katsuta didn't just make a mistake; he fell victim to the razor-thin margins of these mountain roads. A wide line sent his GR Yaris Rally1 squarely into a drainage ditch, puncturing a tire and—crucially—his confidence. The time loss was catastrophic, relegating him to a recovery drive before the coffee was even warm.

Into that vacuum stepped Oliver Solberg.

Driving the third Toyota (yes, the Swede is in a Yaris for 2026, and doesn't it look right?), Solberg was electric. He didn't just match Evans; he harassed him. It was a throwback performance—wild, loose, and visibly faster than the physics of a narrow Japanese lane should allow. He ended the day right on Evans' gearbox, teasing us with the prospect of a genuine fight.

Saturday: The Pole that Stopped a Solberg

Saturday in Gifu Prefecture was where the dream died, and it died with a sickening thud.

Solberg was pushing. Hard. Too hard? Maybe. But you don't win WRC events by parking the bus. On the second pass, the young Swede ran wide on a tightening right-hander. There was no forgiving moss bank this time—just a solid, immoveable concrete utility pole. The impact broke the suspension instantly, forcing him to retire on the spot.

It was heartbreaking, but it was also the moment the contest effectively ended.

With Solberg out, Evans found himself with a manageable gap to Sébastien Ogier. The eight-time champ kept the pressure on—because he’s Ogier, and that’s what he does—but Evans had the answers. He managed the gap, managed the tires, and managed the nerves.

Meanwhile, the story of the day quietly shifted to Sami Pajari. The young Finn, piloting the fourth Toyota, drove with a maturity that belied his years. While the Hyundais of Thierry Neuville and the newly recruited Adrien Fourmaux struggled to find a rhythm on the distinctively slippery Japanese asphalt, Pajari kept his nose clean and his times fast.

Sunday: The Parade

Sunday’s final leg at Lake Mikawako was less a motor race and more a coronation.

Solberg returned under SuperRally rules to blitz Super Sunday and grab maximum power stage points—a reminder of what could have been. 

But the overall classification was set in stone.

Evans crossed the line to take his third victory in Japan, extending his championship lead significantly. Ogier followed him home, 12.8 seconds adrift. Pajari secured a brilliant third, cementing his status as the sport's next big thing, while a recovering Katsuta climbed back to fourth to complete the lockout.

Adrien Fourmaux, now in Hyundai colors, was the "best of the rest" in fifth, but the gap to the Toyotas was a chasm. The i20 N Rally1 simply didn't have the legs on these roads, leaving the Alzenau squad scratching their heads. [1]

In WRC2, the master of the tarmac, Nikolay Gryazin, took a comfortable victory, his Citroën C3 Rally2 barely missing a beat all weekend.

The 2026 Rally Japan will be remembered for the heat, the humidity, and the absolute, unwavering dominance of Toyota City's favorite sons.

• Moment of the Rally: Solberg’s Saturday crash. It robbed us of a fight, but it proved he has the raw speed to lead in a Rally1 car.
• Driver of the Weekend: Sami Pajari. To stand on the podium in a Toyota sweep, ahead of Katsuta and the entire Hyundai squad? That is a statement. [1, 2]
• The Big Question: Where was the crowd? Reports of "weird atmospheres" and empty spectator zones suggest the new May date might not be the magic bullet the promoters hoped for.

Report: Neil McDaid

Photo's : Toyota Gazoo, Hyundai Motorsport, JA-FB

Full entry list released for the 2026 Donegal International Rally

 

Meeke and Toyota Set to Ignite the 2026 Donegal International Rally

Kris Meeke at the 2008 Donegal Rally. 

Letterkenny, Ireland: Kris Meeke is making a triumphant return to the pointy end of stage rally in Ireland after an 18-year hiatus. Ironically, his last outing was in Donegal in 2008. Now, he’s back and set to compete in the Wilton Recycling 2026 Donegal International Rally.

The five-time World Rally Championship race winner is returning to the pinnacle of Irish asphalt rallying. This isn’t just any entry; it’s Toyota Gazoo Racing landing on Irish soil with a factory-backed developmental car. They’ve now deployed Meeke and co-driver Liam Regan in the potent GR Yaris Rally2.

Exclusive photo, of Kris Meeke testing in Donegal this week, Photo David McDaid.

With Meeke’s entry, defending champion Callum Devine will see some unexpected competition that this will surely test the might of the Derry man! .

Fresh off a masterclass victory at the Rally of the Lakes, Devine arrives in Letterkenny focused and ready to attack the Donegal stages. He’s won this event three times consecutively (2023, 2024, 2025). A fourth consecutive win wouldn’t just be another trophy; it would break the record books and elevate him to a league of his own. The “King of the Hills” knows these roads like the back of his hand, but the pressure of the “four-peat” is a formidable challenge for his co-driver.

We also have it on good authority that WRC driver Josh McErlean is also on the entry list for the Donegal. He’ll pilot a fresh new RALLY2 Fiesta, adding to the excitement building in Donegal.

McErlean is currently honing his skills in the WRC’s top tier with M-Sport’s Puma Rally1. This means he’s accustomed to speeds that are ideal for Donegal’s high-speed classic stages. While the Fiesta Rally2 may not be as advanced as the latest Yaris or Fabia RS, M-Sport’s legendary tarmac setups should allow Josh to maintain a podium finish. Malcolm Wilson’s decision to place a WRC-sharp driver like McErlean in a works-prepped Fiesta is a bold move aimed at disrupting the Irish Tarmac Championship.

Although the entry list is not yet public, its expected we will see a highly ranked entry for Irelands most poplular motorsports event. 

• Meirion Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2): The Welshman has made Ireland his home and playground. He secured a strong second place to Devine in 2025 and has already demonstrated the Yaris’s capability on these challenging bumps. He’s overdue for a significant victory.
• 
  
• David Kelly (VW Polo GTi R5/Skoda): The local boy has transcended the “talent to watch” status and has become a proven winner. Earlier this year, he clinched a dramatic Circuit of Ireland victory by a mere 0.5 seconds, boosting his confidence significantly. He’s intimately familiar with the Gweedore terrain.
• 
  
• Josh Moffett (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2): The 2022 winner never fails to make an impact. While the spotlight is often on the flashy new entries, Moffett’s consistent performance often emerges as the hero when the top contenders encounter difficulties.
• 
  

Devine possesses the rhythm, Meeke boasts the raw speed, and McErlean brings the WRC sharpness. However, Donegal rewards the brave, not just the fast. Meeke and Toyota are poised to ignite Donegal, adding to the excitement of the most popular rally on the island. 

Report: Neil McDaid 

Photos: David McDaid / Neil McDaid 

The Master’s Touch: Ogier Orchestrates a Toyota Symphony at the 2026 WRC Canaries

 

Gran Canaria: If you wanted to know why Sébastien Ogier remains the benchmark by which all other rally drivers are measured, you only had to look at his eyes at the stop line of the Moya – Gáldar stage. There was no frenzy. No adrenaline-fueled wide-eyed stare. Just the calm, calculated look of a man who had just dissected one of the most technical stretches of asphalt on the planet and found time where others found only fear.

For the 50th anniversary of Rally Islas Canarias, the WRC returned to the "Atlantic's Asphalt Garden," and while the volcanic backdrop was dramatic, the story was singular: Toyota Gazoo Racing is in a league of its own, and Ogier is still the captain of the ship. 

Friday: The Warning Shot 

The "Golden Edition" began not with a whimper, but with a statement. After the stadium-style theatrics of the Thursday night Super Special at the Estadio de Gran Canaria, Friday’s loop into the interior was where the real war began.The narrative coming into the weekend was about the abrasive surface—the "black gold" that eats tires for breakfast. But while others managed, Ogier attacked. He claimed four of the five stages on Friday, his GR Yaris Rally1 dancing through the dizzying climbs of Valleseco and Tejeda with a fluidity that belied the violence of the grip levels. 

Oliver Solberg, driving with a maturity that seems to grow with every event, was the only one to keep the Frenchman honest. The young Swede ended Friday just 3.8 seconds adrift, a gnat in the ear of the eight-time champion. Behind them, the gap was already yawning. Elfyn Evans sat a distant third, struggling to find the rhythm in the twisty sections, while the Hyundai squad looked lost. Thierry Neuville, usually so potent on tarmac, was fighting a car that refused to turn in, ending the day over two minutes back in a despondent eighth. 

Saturday: The Pressure Cooker

Saturday was supposed to be the day the tires gave up. The Moya – Gáldar stage, the "Queen Stage" of the rally at nearly 29km, was the litmus test.

Solberg didn't blink. He kept the pressure on Ogier, trading tenths throughout the morning loop. By the midday service, the gap had extended slightly to 8.9 seconds, but the tension was palpable. It was a heavyweight bout—the master versus the apprentice. 

Meanwhile, the battle for the final podium spot was turning into a Toyota intra-team scrimmage. 

Sami Pajari

, the young Finn promoted to the Rally1 seat, was driving the rally of his life. He leapfrogged a hesitant Takamoto Katsuta, showing incredible poise on the heated asphalt to hold fourth, eyeing Evans' third place.

For Hyundai, the nightmare continued. Local hero 

Dani Sordo

, drafted in to save face on home soil, couldn't find the magic of old. He languished in seventh, complaining of understeer that made the i20 N feel "like a boat in a bathtub". 

Sunday: Heartbreak and History

Sunday morning in the Canaries is usually a time for a leisurely café con leche. For 

Oliver Solberg

, it was a bitter shot of espresso.The drama that reshaped the rally struck on the second pass of Ingenio – Telde. 

Solberg

, pushing to close the gap to 

Ogier

, clipped a wall on a narrowing right-hander. The damage was terminal. In an instant, a career-defining fight for the win evaporated, promoting the entire Toyota train up the order. 

With 

Solberg

 out, Ogier was released. He cruised through the final Santa Lucía – Agüimes Power Stage with the window-down coolness of a Sunday driver, sealing his first victory of the 2026 season. 

But the story behind him was just as compelling. 

Solberg's

 exit confirmed a historic 1-2-3-4 lockout for Toyota Gazoo Racing. 

Elfyn Evans

 took a comfortable, if distant, second. But the cheers were loudest for 

Sami Pajari

, who claimed his maiden WRC podium in third, a result that justifies every ounce of hype surrounding him. 

Takamoto Katsuta

 brought the fourth Yaris home to complete the humiliation of the rival manufacturers. 

The WRC2 Clinic

While the Rally1 contest turned into a procession, the WRC2 category delivered the dogfight we craved. 

Yohan Rossel

 was simply untouchable. After establishing an early lead on Friday, he managed the gap to perfection, holding off a spirited charge from 

Alejandro Cachón

. Rossel’s victory was a masterclass in tire management, proving that the Citroën C3 Rally2 is still a weapon in the right hands on tarmac. 

Final Classification: Rally Islas Canarias 2026

Pos	Driver	Team	Time/Gap
1	Sébastien Ogier	Toyota Gazoo Racing	2:43:18.9
2	Elfyn Evans	Toyota Gazoo Racing	+19.9s
3	Sami Pajari	Toyota Gazoo Racing	+1:40.8s
4	Takamoto Katsuta	Toyota Gazoo Racing	+1:51.2s
5	Adrien Fourmaux	M-Sport Ford	+3:29.5s