GAZOO Racing Portugal World Rally Team secured a double podium finish at Rally de Portugal, with Oliver Solberg and Elfyn Evans finishing second and third respectively in the four-day gravel competition held northeast of Porto on May 13, 2026.
Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson finished second in the No. 99 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 with a time of 3 hours, 53 minutes, and 18.0 seconds. Evans and co-driver Scott Martin secured third place in the No. 33 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1, crossing the finish line at 3 hours, 53 minutes, and 30.8 seconds. Both crews topped the Super Sunday classification, with Solberg and Edmondson claiming first place in the final stage competition and Evans and Martin finishing second.
GAZOO Racing Portugal Performance
The rally presented rapidly changing conditions across its gravel-based stages. Wet weather and heavily rutted surfaces placed significant demands on tire management, precision driving, and vehicle durability. Solberg and Edmondson delivered a strong performance throughout the event, while Evans and Martin set the third-fastest time in the rally-ending Power Stage.
Juha Kankkunen, Deputy Team Principal, said: “It’s never a nice feeling to lose a rally victory so close to the end like this, but we benefitted from a similar situation in Croatia this year and now we were on the other side. Oliver and Elfyn were able to step up onto the podium and finish one-two in Super Sunday. We have a strong team and now we look forward to Rally Japan.”
The double finish extends GAZOO Racing’s dominance in the championship standings. Toyota maintains a 93-point lead in the manufacturers’ championship, while Evans extends his advantage at the top of the drivers’ standings to 12 points. The team’s three drivers occupy the top positions overall, with Katsuta holding second place and Solberg climbing to third following his podium result.
Championship Standings After Portugal
Following the Portugal round, GAZOO Racing crews hold commanding positions across both championship categories. Evans leads the drivers’ standings with a 12-point advantage, while Toyota’s manufacturers’ title lead stands at 93 points. The team’s consistency has positioned multiple drivers in the top three, signaling sustained competitiveness in the ongoing season.
Upcoming Rally Japan Event
The next World Rally Championship event is Rally Japan, scheduled for May 28-31, 2026. The rally moves forward in the calendar from its traditional November slot and marks a home event for GAZOO Racing. The competition takes place on twisting asphalt roads across the mountains of Aichi and Gifu prefectures around Toyota City near Nagoya, representing one of the championship’s most technically demanding asphalt courses.
Toyota’s involvement in motorsport spans more than 60 years, encompassing multiple racing disciplines worldwide. The manufacturer competes in top-level motorsport categories including the FIA World Rally Championship, along with customer motorsport activities using production vehicles. From 2026, the team operates under the GAZOO Racing name.
