The Promoter of the FIA World Rally Championship has welcomed the news today that Toyota is returning to the WRC in 2017.
WRC Promotor GmbH Managing Director Oliver Ciesla has described the news that Toyota returning to the WRC arena after a 17 year absence is “marvellous news for the sport”
“Toyota has a long and distinguished history in motorsport, particularly in world rallying, and we’re delighted to welcome one of the automobile industry’s giants back to WRC,” Ciesla explained.
It was confirmed this morning that Toyota Motorsport will continue to develop the Yaris WRC car from its base in Cologne, Germany in preparation for the cars debut in 2017. The car itself was presented to the public for the first time during the announce from Toyota in Tokyo.
Ciesla shared his joy on potentially having five manufacturers in the 2017 WRC and how the current crop of WRC cars share a lot with their road going versions driven by the general public.
“Toyota’s announcement brings a fifth manufacturer into WRC, including three of the world’s five biggest-selling auto companies. The last season in which so many manufacturers were represented was 2006,” continued Ciesla.
“It’s exciting to see that in addition to the manufacturers already competing in the championship, others are becoming aware of the benefits that engagement in WRC will bring to their business.”
“There is a clear link between World Rally Cars and the vehicles we drive in the street and that’s a powerful marketing tool. WRC is a truly authentic sport and this positively translates to a sympathetic image for the brands involved.”
“With a global annual TV audience of 800 million viewers, spread across the year from January to November, the WRC provides an excellent return on a company’s investment and we look forward to seeing Toyota back on the special stages in two years’ time,” he added.
