He sealed the win by 53.5 seconds after also setting the best time in the rally-ending Power Stage and topping the Super Sunday classification to score a maximum of 35 points. With his 16th career victory, Rovanperä now stands alone as the most successful driver for Toyota in the WRC, having previously been tied with Sébastien Ogier and Carlos Sainz on 15 wins and two drivers’ titles with the brand.

Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais made a strong return to action for the first time since their win at January’s Rallye Monte-Carlo. After finally getting the better of Rovanperä in the penultimate stage, he secured second overall and was second fastest in the Power Stage and Super Sunday.

Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin completed the podium – their fourth top-three finish from as many rounds so far this season – and also came third in the Power Stage and Super Sunday. Those results increase Evans’ drivers’ championship lead to 43 points with Rovanperä now up into second.

Takamoto Katsuta and his co-driver Aaron Johnston completed the top-four sweep: the third time that TGR-WRT has achieved such a result after doing so at Safari Rally Kenya in both 2022 and 2023. With a third maximum score of 60 manufacturers’ points from four events, the team’s championship lead increased to 51.

The next popular Rally de Portugal (May 15-18) is based in Matosinhos near Porto in the north of the country, and features classic stages on sandy and rocky gravel roads.

Please read the details on the team’s official web site:

Orresta Vasteras 2025-04-05

We are very delighted to announce that ENDLESS Brake Technology Europe AB, Orresta Vasteras Sweden has signed a renewed multiple year contract as an Official Team Supplier to Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team.

After this great moment, Lucas Nylund, CEO of ENDLESS Brake Technology Europe, said: “We have been working very close with Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team since 2010 and have together achieved extraordinary successes in Formula OneTM with our RF-650 Racing Brake Fluid. 8 consecutive Constructors World Championship Titles and 7 consecutive 1-2 Drivers World Championship Titles, enormous amount of podiums, lap records, etc, which is today magic motorsport history. I would like to thank Toto, the drivers, the engineers and the entire Team for their continued trust in our brake technology and we will race on together for more future successes.”

James Allison, Technical Director of Merdeces-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, commented; “We’re pleased to renew our agreement with ENDLESS Brake Technology Europe. We’ve enjoyed much success on the track with them and look forward to delivering more in the future as we enter the team’s next chapter with George and Kimi.”

ENDLESS Brake Technology Europe AB, based in Orresta outside Vasteras, Sweden, is the European Sales and Technical Centre for ENDLESS Advance Co Ltd, Japan, handling all sales and technical support for the European market including dealers and customer teams from Formula OneTM to street customs.

ENDLESS Brake Technology Europe AB is also responsible for dealer development and product line-up adaptation and has a direct technical and support co-operation with the ENDLESS factory in Japan. The company started in 1999 to promote ENDLESS High Performance Competition Brake products in European markets. After strong initial success, the ENDLESS brand and dealer network has steadily grown in Europe as the choice for uncompromising brake products with continuous development towards excellence.

The FIA World Rally Championship’s only pure winter event on snow and ice was one of the most exciting for many years. After a high-paced battle through Saturday, Evans and co-driver Scott Martin would enter Sunday’s final leg leading Katsuta by just three seconds and with only a further 3.3s back to third-placed Thierry Neuville.

Katsuta and his co-driver Aaron Johnston drove a superb rally in contention for a first WRC victory, and were quickest out of the traps on the final morning to win the first pass of the 29.35-kilometre Västervik and take the lead from Evans and Martin by 4.5s. Evans responded emphatically on the second pass of the stage, going 6.7s faster than anyone to reclaim the lead.

Defending an advantage of 3.7s into the rally-ending Power Stage, Evans secured victory in style as he edged Katsuta to the best time by just 0.2s and to top the Super Sunday classification by 0.8s. His overall winning margin of 3.8s is the smallest in Rally Sweden history.

The victory is a 10th WRC triumph for Evans and his second in Sweden. Taking a maximum score of 35 points, Evans moves into a 28-point lead in the drivers’ championship over Rallye Monte-Carlo winner Sébastien Ogier, who did not include Sweden.

Following its 95th WRC win, Toyota has moved into second place in the all-time list of most successful manufacturers in the series. With two one-two finishes and maximum points from the first two rounds, TGR-WRT leads the manufacturers’ standings by 48 points.

Kalle Rovanperä is up to third place in the drivers’ championship after he and Jonne Halttunen finished fifth overall in Sweden, plus fourth in the Power Stage and fifth on Super Sunday. Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen took seventh overall in their TGR-WRT2 entry.

The next is the legendary Safari Rally Kenya – the only African round of the WRC – hosts round three on March 20-23.

Please read the details on the team’s official web site:

  As usual the rally brought a wide range of changeable conditions during the weekend. It provided a challenging first event for the teams and drivers with the revised technical package for 2025, with the top class of Rally1 cars no longer featuring hybrid units and also running on Hankook tyres for the first time.

  Despite these challenges, the battle for victory remained tight throughout the weekend and went down to the very last stage across the iconic Col de Turini on Sunday afternoon. The rally-ending Power Stage featured a true mix of conditions, with a largely dry ascent and descent but with some ice atop the famous Col de Turini. In the three drivers opted for a mix of slick and studded tyres and it was Ogier who set the, all of the top best time, just 0.215s quicker than Evans – who ran wide and brushed a bank on the rapid descent to the finish.

  Ogier’s win is also his 15th for TGR-WRT, drawing him level with team-mate Kalle Rovanperä and their fellow two-time champion Carlos Sainz as the drivers who have achieved the most WRC victories for Toyota.

  Evans and co-driver Scott Martin start their season strongly, also topping the Super Sunday classification to earn five extra bonus points.  With a different tyre strategy, Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen were consistent across all conditions on the final day and beat Ott Tänak to fourth overall, securing a solid haul of 18 points from a challenging weekend.

  Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari built their confidence and pace through the rally. Starting the final day sixth and seventh, both would unfortunately slide off the road in Sunday’s first stage.

  The next Rally Sweden (February 13-16) is the only full winter event of the season held on snow and ice. Metal studs inserted into the tyres bite into the surface to provide grip and allow for some of the highest speeds of the year.

Please read the details on the team’s official web site:

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team will embark on a 2025 FIA World Rally Championship campaign full of new challenges when the classic season opener, Rallye Monte-Carlo, takes place on January 23-26.

There are significant changes to the technical playing field for 2025. The top category of Rally1 cars will no longer use plug-in hybrid units following a regulation change. Meanwhile, Hankook becomes the sole tyre supplier for the WRC’s top categories for the first time.

There has also been a tweak to the sporting regulations. Points will once more be allocated based upon the overall positions at the end of the rally, with a win to again be worth 25 points. The Super Sunday classification on the final day now offers up to five bonus points, as does the rally-ending Power Stage.

While just eight weeks have passed since TGR-WRT claimed the manufacturers’ title in a thrilling conclusion to the 2024 season at Rally Japan, the team has been working hard to adapt to these changes and continue improving the GR YARIS Rally1, which continues to run on 100 percent sustainable fossil-free fuel.

The team also fields a strengthened and expanded driver line-up this season, running as many as five GR YARIS Rally1 cars on many events including Rallye Monte-Carlo.

As in the previous seasons, Endless will continue to support the team in the new season as a partner supplying brake parts to all TGR-WRT cars.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team claimed its fourth consecutive FIA World Rally Championship manufacturers’ title* in a thrilling end to the season as it scored a one-two finish on home ground at Rally Japan.

  Despite closing its deficit to the leader Hyundai from 15 to 11 points based on the positions at the end of Saturday, TGR-WRT went into the final day still facing a tough task to retain its title. However, with all drivers on both teams pushing hard on the challenging asphalt roads near Toyota City, it was presented with an opportunity when the rally leader Ott Tänak went off on Sunday’s opening stage.

With Elfyn Evans and Sébastien Ogier promoted into first and second overall, and with the separate Super Sunday classification also factored in, the two teams were level on points going into the rally-ending Power Stage, where up to five further points were available for the fastest drivers.

As Takamoto Katsuta had followed the team’s strategy by also cleanly making it through the rally, TGR-WRT could count on three contenders in this final-stage decider. Ogier set the fastest time in the Power Stage for the full five bonus points, and with Evans third-quickest and Katsuta fourth, the team clinched the title by three points after 13 rallies.

It is the eighth manufacturers’ title won by Toyota in the WRC, drawing it level with Citroën for second place in the all-time list.

Since becoming TGR WRT’s partner in supplying brake parts in 2021, Endless has supported the team in winning the manufacturers’ title for the fourth consecutive year. We are very proud to be able to compete alongside a team that has achieved such brilliant results.

The 2024 season has just ended, but the fight for the 2025 season has already begun. ENDLESS will continue to work with TGR-WRT to develop and supply brake parts in preparation for the new season.

* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA

Please read the details on the team’s official web site:

  Takamoto Katsuta was the star of the final day as he completed an excellent return to action, claiming the maximum 12 points on offer by topping both the Super Sunday classification and the rally-ending Power Stage.

  Finishing fourth overall, Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston were quickest across Sunday by 3.8 seconds ahead of team-mates Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin, who scored a second successive podium in second place and were third in the Power Stage.

  Together, the efforts of Evans and Katsuta meant TGR-WRT scored two points more than its main rival Hyundai this weekend, closing the gap to 15 points ahead of next month’s final round at Rally Japan – where a maximum score across the event would be enough to claim another title.

  Sami Pajari and co-driver Enni Mälkönen suffered a fate in the first stage of the morning, bringing a slightly early end to another impressive outing in a GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID –his first on asphalt and third in total. Pajari was on for another top-six finish overall ashe continued his learning process at the highest level, gaining more valuable experience.

  As planned, Pajari will return to driving the GR Yaris Rally2 car at Rally Japan where he has a chance to claim the WRC2 championship title if he can finish in the top two in the category.

  The season will conclude on home roads for TGR at Rally Japan on November 21-24. The event, which returned to the WRC calendar in 2022, is held on demanding asphalt roads in the mountains of the Aichi and Gifu prefectures, around the service park in Toyota City near Nagoya.

Please read the details on the team’s official web site:

Ogier, along with co-driver Vincent Landais, also performed strongly on his first appearance in the FIA World Rally Championship’s fastest rally for nearly three years: there was just 0.1 seconds separating the team’s multiple world champions Rovanperä and Ogier over the 32.98 kilometres of the returning legendary Ouninpohja stage on Saturday morning. The Frenchman takes his second Rally Finland victory, his first since 2013, and joins Sébastien Loeb, Ott Tänak and Elfyn Evans as the only drivers from outside Finland to win the event more than once.

Ogier also climbs up to second in the drivers’ championship, 27 points from the lead, after claiming three wins and three second places from his six rally starts so far in 2024.

Rising Finnish talents Sami Pajari and Enni Mälkönen finished a fine fourth on their Rally1 debut on home roads. After picking up damage early on Friday in slippery conditions, Pajari recovered well to end the day with a maiden WRC stage win and was third-quickest across Saturday behind Rovanperä and Ogier.

Takamoto Katsuta was another caught out by the tricky conditions of Friday morning, damage stopping him on the road section back to mid-day service. After restarting on Saturday, he and co-driver Aaron Johnston showed strong pace on Sunday, winning each of the last two stages – including the rally-ending Power Stage – and finishing joint top of the Super Sunday classification.

Team Principal Jari-Matti Latvala finished second in WRC2 and sixth overall driving a GR Yaris Rally2 entered by TGR-WRT on his home event – he and co-driver Juho Hänninen once again delighting the local fans while also gathering valuable feedback from the new-for-2024 Rally2 car.

There’s a short break before the Acropolis Rally in Greece on September 5-8. A legendary event in the WRC, it has a reputation for rocky mountain roads and high temperatures which combine to create a tough challenge for cars, tyres and drivers alike.,

Please read the details on the team’s official web site : https://toyotagazooracing.com/wrc/

Returning to the high-speed gravel roads where he began his rally career as a teenager, Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen led the rally from the opening stage in Riga on Thursday night. They won 11 stages along the way – recording their 200th career fastest time on Saturday morning – as they marked their 50th start at the highest level of the WRC with their 14th victory.

Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais made an impressive return to action after being forced to miss the previous round in Poland.

With its one-two result, TGR-WRT took maximum manufacturers’ points from the overall standings plus second and third in the separate Super Sunday classification. With the Power Stage results also factored in, the team closes to within one point of the championship lead.

Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin finished fifth overall on an event where road position was a significant factor on the loose gravel stages. His fourth finish in the Super Sunday classification, has closed to within 13 points of the series leader.

Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston showed good confidence and pace from the start of the rally, holding fourth position at the end of Friday before a small overshoot on Saturday’s SS12 caused damage to the power steering system, leaving them sixth at the finish.

The next Rally Finland (August 1-4) is the fastest rally on the calendar, run over smooth gravel roads containing many jumps. It’s also a home rally for TGR-WRT, which has its headquarters close to the service park in Jyväskylä.

Please read the details on the team’s official website: