This year looks like being a momentous year for Toyota. Not only did Japan’s No 1 carmaker launch an all-new version of the world’s biggest selling car – the Corolla – but it also just announced a major collaboration with Japan’s second-biggest media and telecommunications company Softbank, a conglomerate that Americans may know as the new owners of Sprint Corporation. In a new mobility service development, Toyota and Softbank will collaborate to produce a revolutionary new unmanned taxi business and electric, autonomous driving delivery service.
Now while all of these developments are significant, there is other news brewing that is sure to outdo these stories and dominate the brand’s media coverage going into 2019. I am referring to Toyota’s 2018 motorsport results. This year is shaping up to be the most successful year in the history of the company’s motor racing. It goes without saying that, after several painful attempts at winning the legendary Le Mans 24-hour race, Toyota finally realized its dream this year with a memorable one-two victory at France’s famous Sarthe Circuit.
Toyota Gazoo Racing becomes only the second Japanese car to win the legendary Le Mans 24-hour race at the
Circuit de la Sarthe, France.PHOTO COURTESY OF TOYOTA
But that’s just the beginning. Apart from its strong showing in the World Endurance Championships, or WEC (of which the Le Mans 24-hour is one part), Toyota is also proving its mettle in the hugely popular NASCAR series. Toyota driver Kyle Busch has racked up some great victories this year and currently leads the championship. And with just several more races to go, he is well poised to take home this year’s trophy. To elevate Toyota’s presence in the sport even more, the company has just announced it will employ the all-new Supra, due early next year, as a base model for its 2019 NASCAR entry.
Victories in Le Mans, or should we say the wider WEC series, and NASCAR certainly build the brand’s prestige on the international stage, but when all is said and done, the darling of the brand’s motor racing activities is the World Rally Championships. When we say ‘darling,’ we are of course referring to the favorite motorsport category of Toyota’s CEO, Akio Toyoda, who adores rallying and has actually competed himself in Japan’s domestic series. This year, Estonian driver Ott Tanak, racing with Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, is currently in the lead of the World Rally Championships and looks like capturing the title.
Driving a Toyota Yaris, Ott Tanak is currently leading the 2018 World Rally Championships.PHOTO COURTESY OF TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
Actually, you could say that the unprecedented success this year of Toyota race cars on the world stage is a direct product of Toyoda’s support and positive attitude for his Gazoo Racing team, the company’s motorsport arm that manages the WRC team and several other categories such as Japan’s Super GT championships.
It goes without saying that Toyota has had some huge successes and some abysmal failures in motorsport, like its hugely disappointing effort in Formula 1. Competing in the globe’s highest level of motorsport from 2002 to 2009, Toyota in 2008 reportedly spent around $445 million, more than any other team. But it failed to win a race over that 8-year period and withdrew in 2009 citing “severe economic realities” brought on the global financial crisis of 2008. That departure drew significant criticism from media and race fans alike who pointed to teams like Ferrari, who stay in F1 through thick and thin, no matter how good or poor their results may be.
This year, however, Toyota has done its homework. It knows which categories the team is competitive in and has focused its racing efforts in those areas. To show just how much the CEO is backing Toyota’s rallying team, the Toyoda himself has been seen this year sharing that podium with rally victors like Tanak.
New Zealander Nick Cassidy, driving for Kondo Racing in Japan’s Super Formula championships, captures another win to lead the series.PHOTO COURTESY OF TOYOTA
Toyoda says that the two main reasons for involving the company in such top-level competitive motorsport are to generate technology that can be fed back into everyday production cars that you and I drive, and of course, the other reason is to highlight the ability of the company’s perseverance and reliability. Toyota has already rewritten the record books when it comes to Le Mans. Now it needs to duplicate those results in NASCAR and rallying and open-wheel racing, making this year the brand’s most memorable year yet.
Source: Forbes