Toyota Gazoo Racing claims sweeping 1-2-3 finish at Rallye Monte-Carlo

Sports & Championship

Toyota Gazoo Racing claims sweeping 1-2-3 finish at Rallye Monte-Carlo

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) opened the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season in dominant fashion, securing a historic one-two-three finish at Rallye Monte-Carlo, one of the sport’s most prestigious and demanding events.

The landmark result was led by a breakthrough victory from Oliver Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson, who claimed first place in the No. 99 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1. They were joined on the podium by teammates Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin in second place in the No. 33 car, while Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais completed the podium in third in the No. 1 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1.

The result marks Toyota’s first-ever podium lockout at Rallye Monte-Carlo and the first single-manufacturer sweep at the season opener since 2015. Following the opening round, TGR-WRT occupies the top three positions in the drivers’ championship standings and leads the manufacturers’ championship with a total of 59 points.

Akio Toyoda, Chairman of TGR-WRT, congratulated the team on the result, praising the drivers and engineers for delivering the best possible outcome under challenging conditions. He highlighted the team’s commitment to continuous improvement, noting that the lessons learned on demanding rally stages contribute directly to Toyota’s philosophy of building ever-better cars.

Competing in his first full season with TGR-WRT’s Rally1 line-up, Solberg delivered a commanding performance across one of the most difficult editions of Rallye Monte-Carlo in recent years. The 24-year-old took control of the rally from the second stage of the opening leg and went on to become the youngest winner of Rallye Monte-Carlo in the modern era, as well as the first member of his family to win the iconic event.

The victory also marked Solberg’s second win in just his first two starts with the Toyota GR YARIS Rally1, following his debut triumph at Rally Estonia, underlining an exceptional start to his tenure with the team.

Throughout the rally, crews faced constantly changing conditions across the French Alps and the mountains above Monaco, including snow, ice, rain, mud and limited dry asphalt. Despite the treacherous surfaces, Solberg maintained control and composure to secure victory by a margin of 51.8 seconds.

Evans and Martin delivered a consistent performance to finish second, securing their fifth Rallye Monte-Carlo podium together with TGR-WRT. The pair also claimed victory in the Power Stage and finished second in the Super Sunday classification, maximizing their points haul at the season opener.

Ogier and Landais completed the podium after a closely fought battle in the latter stages of the rally, securing Ogier’s 15th Rallye Monte-Carlo podium finish from 17 starts and further reinforcing Toyota’s dominance at the event.

Round two of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship will be Rally Sweden, scheduled from February 12 to 15. As the only full winter rally of the season, the event will be contested entirely on snow and ice, placing heavy emphasis on tyre strategy, precise car control and driver confidence in extreme conditions.