Toyota’s WRC plans no clearer, says Wilson

31st May 2010

By Giles Wade

Toyota is no nearer to returning to the World Rally Championship after a delegation from the Japanese firm attended Rally de Portugal at the weekend.

That’s the view of Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson, who said the five-person group gave no indication to him that a comeback to the WRC as a factory team for the first time since it quit at end of 1999 was in the offing.

“It’s common knowledge [Toyota] were in Portugal but they’ve also been to [the Intercontinental Rally Challenge-counting Rally] Monte Carlo,” said Wilson. “I spoke with them and they made it clear they are not just looking at rallying but all disciplines. It was purely a fact-finding mission from my understanding but it’s good to see they are showing an interest and even considering the WRC as an option.”

Wilson added: “They asked a lot of marketing and technical questions to get an idea on costs, to find out the good points and the bad points of the WRC and the chance for growth.”

Toyota has won 43 world championship rallies and claimed the WRC manufacturers’ title on three occasions. It also helped Didier Auriol, Juha Kankkunen and Carlos Sainz to WRC drivers’ crowns.

After leaving top-line rallying Toyota concentrated on its largely unsuccessful, albeit costly, Formula One campaign.