2025 WRC Drivers and Teams

Who is driving full-time for Toyota in 2025?

Pretty much everyone is driving a Toyota in the 2025 World Rally Championship. Four Toyota GR Yaris Rally1s will take part in every round, one more than we’ve seen the Finland-based Japanese squad field before.

The big news for the championship is that Kalle Rovanpera - at 24 already one of the all-time greats of rallying - is back, and back for real. He spent 2024 mostly on the sidelines, at his own behest, as he took a year out to explore other bits of motorsport. And now he’s back, and seemingly more committed than ever. Despite not taking part in every rally Rovanpera still won more rounds of the WRC than anyone else in 2024. Terrifying.

The other major news is the promotion of Sami Pajari to a full-time Rally1 drive. The 23-year-old won the WRC-2 crown in 2024, defeating Oliver Solberg (who is, by the way, also joining Toyota, but for a second-class season) at the last gasp. He also made his Rally1 debut with some impressive shows in Finland and Chile and a less stellar crash in Central Europe. Given how patient Toyota has been with Takamoto Katsuta, this could be the perfect learning year for Pajari.

And what of the two full-time drivers for Toyota in 2024? They’re both back. Elfyn Evans returning for a sixth season with Toyota isn’t really a surprise. While his 2024 season wasn’t what he would have hoped for, he still finished the season as runner-up to Thierry Neuville. But the return of Katsuta is perhaps a little more surprising. Katsuta did not have a good 2024, although his push on Rally Japan showed he is mentally tough. So another year with Toyota is fortunate, but the team clearly believes in him and Taka is well liked in the paddock. But with Oliver Solberg now signed up as a Toyota driver, it’s time for Katsuta to deliver.

Who is driving for Hyundai in WRC 2025?

Three drivers will complete the whole 2025 WRC season in Hyundai i20Ns - one more than in 2024. Obviously one of those is the champ, as Thierry Neuville continues his relationship with Hyundai that stretches back to 2014. However, with some intrigue, the Belgian has only signed a one year deal. That caused some eyebrow raising in the WRC paddock, including by his team-mate…

Speaking of which, Ott Tanak returns for another year at Hyundai. While his return to the Korean marque wasn’t perfect, he certainly seemed happier in the i20N in 2024 than he had been the last time he drove for Hyundai. It was only a mistake on the last round in Japan that meant he wasn’t the runner-up in the championship - and arguably cost Hyundai the manufacturers’ crown.

The final full-time Hyundai seat goes to Adrien Fourmaux, and that is news we at GRR believe to be well deserved. Not just because he’s put on a lovely show at the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard more than once, but because Fourmaux was one of the standout stars of 2024. We put him fourth on our list of the best drivers of the season. It was an agonising choice (we imagine) for the Frenchman to choose to leave the M-Sport team that had nurtured him to the WRC, but the chance to finally drive a rally-winning car was too much. We’re excited to see how he performs in top-level machinery. 

Are any drivers doing part-time WRC programmes?

We have two confirmed at the moment. Eight-time WRC champion Sebastien Ogier will drive in selected rounds for Toyota, a situation he announced he would be very happy with after completing Rally Japan and helping Toyota to the Manufacturers’ crown in 2024. We might also see more Toyotas on show at other rounds. We won’t discount seeing Oliver Solberg step up, much like Pajari did in 2024. Don’t discount team-boss Jari-Matti Latvala jumping back in too, as he spends his year away from the sport competing in the Historic Rally Championship.

The other driver who has confirmed his part-time competition is Jourdain Serderidis has told our friends at Dirtfish he’ll be back for at least four rounds in 2025. As for more, we’d expect to see a couple of Puma Rally1 outings for others, with some junior competitors eyeing M-Sport’s offer to hire out some Pumas. If we don’t see Martins Sesks in one during the season we will be very disappointed.

Hyundai is still coy over whether it will field more i20Ns, but with Toyota fielding five GR Yarises sometimes, it would make sense for the other factory team to do so. Whether Dani Sordo, Esepekka Lappi or Andreas Mikkelsen return is very TBC.

Which manufacturers will take part in the WRC in 2025?

The same ones as have taken part since 2020. So, Ford in M-Sport guise, Hyundai and Toyota. There’s no suggestion at the moment that any new manufacturers are considering joining in the near future, which is what has caused the FIA’s attempt to overhaul the regulations. As we know those attempts failed, and so we will see the same three teams continue for another season. But still, nine cars is an upgrade on some recent years, and the 2024 season was still a classic, even with just two manufacturers in with a realistic chance.

Are there any more major changes for the WRC?

Not in terms of cars. The WRC will still run to the same Rally1 regulations as it has done for the last few seasons until at least the end of 2026.

But, as we hinted at earlier, there is some news from within the Toyota camp. Team-boss, and former Festival of Speed star, Jari-Matti Latvala is stepping away from his duty for a large chunk of the season. He’s off to compete in the FIA European Historic Rally Championship in his own Toyota Celica. He will be at at least the first two rounds of the WRC, and then it’ll depend on his rallying calendar. In his place comes four-time WRC champion Juha Kankkunen, who has long been a Toyota ambassador. How much that will change Toyota’s approach is to be seen, but it certainly adds a new dynamic.

Which manufacturers will take part in the WRC in 2025?

The same ones as have taken part since 2020. So, Ford in M-Sport guise, Hyundai and Toyota. There’s no suggestion at the moment that any new manufacturers are considering joining in the near future, which is what has caused the FIA’s attempt to overhaul the regulations. As we know those attempts failed, and so we will see the same three teams continue for another season.

Thierry Neuville re-signs for Hyundai

Updated: Thursday 5th September. Current WRC championship leader Thierry Neuville has signed a new one-year contract to stay with Hyundai in the World Rally Championship for 2025.

With debate still swirling as to the nature of Hyundai’s participation after 2025, the length of Neuville’s new contract does nothing to quell the questions around the Korean firm’s WRC future.

The new season will be Neuville’s 12th consecutive with Hyundai - where he has remained since he left M-Sport Ford.

Speaking of the new contract Neuville said: “There are not many partnerships in motorsport that have spanned as long as ours, but since 2014 we have achieved great success together. I’ve said before that this team has become a second family to me, and our ambition and motivation has only grown year after year.

“I am very happy to extend my contract with Hyundai Motorsport for the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship season. It would be a great honour to win our first drivers’ title with them at the end of this season, and to carry that forward into a 12th year together. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.” 

WRC 2025 drivers and teams

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images