Akio Toyoda Comment on the 2018 WRC Round 9 Rallye Deutschland Victory

At the World Rally Championship held this weekend in Germany, following Rally Finland, Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja achieved victory, and in addition, Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm, who had a frustrating experience in Finland, stood on the third step of the podium, attaining a 1-3 finish.

The Yaris WRC engine was developed by TMG (Toyota Motorsport GmbH), based in Germany.

In Germany, where the parties involved in the development of the engine watched on, the sight of the drivers standing on the podium was a very pleasing and impressive scene for me as well.

Thank you to all of our team members who made this exciting weekend possible.

I would also like to express our appreciation to all of the fans for supporting TGR.

This weekend, I truly feel sorry for Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila, who could not finish the rally due to a mechanical issue.

The other day Jari-Matti told me, "The Yaris is a great car that is easy to drive."

During the rally, he also mentioned that he really enjoyed driving the Yaris, but he regrettably had to end his drive because of a mechanical issue.

It is our responsibility to make a car that the driver can drive with full confidence. But we have not accomplished this yet.

I feel strongly that we have to make a greater effort, to take this opportunity firmly and turn it into a chance to make ever-better cars.

We will continue with a steady focus on creating a car that drivers can enjoy driving with full confidence during championships.

Thank you for your continued support.

Akio Toyoda
President, Toyota Motor Corporation
Team Chairman, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team