Solberg relishing Toyota's Celica revival in WRC for 2027
Toyota is bringing the Celica back to the World Rally Championship in 2027, with Oliver Solberg among the three drivers of the new GR Celica Rally1. The Swede only learned of the drive at the launch event on Tuesday.
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A Toyota está trazendo o Celica de volta ao Mundial de Rali em 2027, e Oliver Solberg será um dos três homens a pilotar o novo GR Celica Rally1.
“É fantástico. Acho um ângulo legal. É uma forma diferente de fazer, o que considero único em qualquer esporte”, disse o sueco à Autosport.
A Toyota confirmou o plano na terça-feira. O Celica conquistou títulos de construtores em 1993 e 1994 e levou Carlos Sainz aos títulos de pilotos em 1990 e 1992, antes de Juha Kankkunen e Didier Auriol vencerem em 1993 e 1994. Ele volta sob o nome Toyota Racing com o campeão em título Elfyn Evans e Sami Pajari, enquanto Ott Tanak, Kalle Rovanpera e Takamoto Katsuta usam um GR Yaris, já que a Toyota divide seu esforço de seis carros em duas equipes com carros idênticos sob carrocerias diferentes.
Solberg só soube da vaga no lançamento; seu pai estreou no WRC em um Celica, em 1998. Perder o título deste ano a duas curvas do fim, na Sardenha, ainda dói, mas ele está orgulhoso da primeira temporada no Rally1.
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