- Elfyn Evans secures first Safari Rally win, marking Toyota’s 13th overall victory at the iconic event
- Toyota extends lead in the 2025 WRC Manufacturers’ Championship to 148 points
Dubai, UAE – 27 March 2025: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team continued its commanding form in the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship season by securing a fifth straight victory at the formidable Safari Rally Kenya. Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin delivered an expert performance in their No. 33 GR YARIS Rally1, claiming top honours in what has been widely described as the toughest edition of the rally since its WRC return in 2021.
The win marks Evans’ first at Safari Rally Kenya and the team’s 13th overall victory at the legendary African event, adding another milestone as TGR-WRT celebrated its 100th WRC event since debuting in 2017.
Akio Toyoda, TGR-WRT Chairman, commented: “Elfyn and Scott, congratulations on your victory. Their victory has brought the team three consecutive wins this season and a fifth straight win at the Safari Rally Kenya. We were able to win the rally thanks to Elfyn and Scott, but the roads in Kenya were as challenging as ever. It wasn’t an easy victory. We approached Kenya with thorough preparations based on four years of experience there. However, this year we faced new challenges once again. So many things happened up until the last day and the last stage.”
Toyoda added: “We get excited every time we encounter a road that reminds us, ‘there is no end to ever-better car making’. Starting tomorrow, everyone in the team will work on improving the GR YARIS Rally1 to make it easier to drive and stronger. And these improvements will extend beyond rally cars to all Toyota vehicles running around the world. The roads of Kenya made us reaffirm the significance of participating in rallies as a car manufacturer. To all the team members, let’s work hard to create ever-better cars from tomorrow, and let’s enjoy the competition with our rivals.”
This year’s Safari Rally Kenya covered a punishing 383.1 kilometres of competitive distance and presented drivers with some of the most extreme rallying conditions of the WRC calendar. From treacherous rocky terrain to sections transformed by torrential rain, every kilometre tested the durability of machine and mindset. After a steady start on day one, Evans and Martin moved into the lead on Friday through a measured yet assertive approach. As other competitors faltered in the harsh conditions, the duo maintained consistency to build an advantage of nearly two minutes by the end of day three. On day four, they managed the final five stages with precision and composure, securing victory by 1 minute and 9.9 seconds.
This result also marks Toyota’s 53rd win and 123rd podium in the WRC since its return to the championship in 2017. With three back-to-back victories in the 2025 season, Toyota now leads the manufacturers’ championship with 148 points.
The next round of the 2025 FIA WRC is Rally Islas Canarias, which will take place from April 24–27. Held on the mountainous asphalt roads of Gran Canaria, the event marks the championship’s return to Spanish territory for the first time since 2022.
Over the years, Toyota has been participating in many different forms of motorsports, including Formula One, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race. Toyota’s participation in these events was overseen by separate entities within the company until April 2015, when Toyota established TGR, to consolidate all of its motorsport’s activities under one in-house brand. Representing Toyota’s belief that ‘the roads build the people, and the people build the cars,’ TGR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota’s commitment to making ‘ever-better’ cars. Harnessing years of experience gained under the extreme conditions of various motorsports events, TGR aims to forge new technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.
Race Notes:
- No. 33 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 (Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin)
- Position: 1st
- Time: 4 hours, 20 minutes, and 3.8 seconds