ABOUT WRC CHALLENGE PROGRAM
Support the dream to become world-level rally drivers
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) continue our activities to promote making ever-better motorsports-bred cars and to achieve a sustainable motorsport industry. The driver’s feedback is essential to achieve these, and driver development is one of our most important themes.
TGR’s driver development program, TGR Driver Challenge Program (TGR-DC) is aiming to develop professional drivers who can actively compete worldwide in race and rally categories. TGR-DC does this by offering programs that allow drivers to continuously improve their skills. The WRC Challenge Program first started in 2015 to identify and nurture talented young Japanese drivers with the potential to become top-level WRC drivers.
Training program in Finland, the home of many WRC legend drivers
The training will take place mainly in Jyväskylä, Finland, where the TGR World Rally Team is based. Drivers will go through not only the driving and pacenote training, but also physical and mental training, and through the participation in rally events in Europe, they build on their rally experience.
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Customized training for rally drivers
Under experienced TGR instructors, drivers learn driving skills and how to make accurate and effective pacenotes. Including physical and mental training, a comprehensive training suitable for rally driver is provided.
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Increase experience through rally participation in Europe
Drivers participate in rally events in Finland and other European countries with Rally4 cars. They are able to gain significant experience through driving on various type of roads in Europe.
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Opportunity to step up to world-level rally and to WRC
Through participation in world-level rally events such as WRC2, drivers develop their skills and accumulate experience towards WRC, the highest level of rally category in the world.
Takamoto Katsuta, the first generation, and next generations following him
Takamoto Katsuta represents the first generation of the program. When he joined the program in 2015, he had very little rally experience, but he learned steadily and grew to achieve his first second-place podium finish at Safari Rally Kenya 2021. In 2022 he improved further and proved his ability for consistent driving by securing fifth in the drivers' championship. At the beginning of 2023, he was promoted to the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT line-up where he shared driving the third car with Sébastien Ogier. After showing strong performances in 2023, he finally realizes the goal of becoming a regular driver for TGR-WRT in 2024.
In the summer of 2021, TGR started recruiting the second generation of drivers. From 60 applicants, drivers were selected after the first document screening and the practical screening in Finland and started training in Finland from April 2022. In 2024, Hikaru Kogure and Yuki Yamamoto step up to the Rally2 class, and they continue their challenge with GR Yaris Rally2 in 2025.
TGR staged another selection in 2023 for the program’s third generation. After the first and second screening in Japan and the final screening in Finland, Shotaro Goto and Takumi Matsushita were selected from 70 applicants. And in the 2024 selection, Rio Ogata and Kanta Yanaguida were selected as the fourth generation of the program. In 2025, Tomiya Maekawa will also start co-driver training in Finland. New generations will continue their challenge toward their aim of becoming WRC drivers in the future.
