Toyota's rally team is building a new base in Finland with a budget of about €100 million

Toyota's team in the World Rally Championship (WRC) is building a new base in Majajärvi, Finland, intended to bring together all the facilities the team needs. The total budget and investment for the project come to about €100 million. Construction is planned to be completed in August 2028.

Construction progress

Work on the site began this August, and on 2 November a symbolic milestone was marked when the first brick was laid. Until now the team has adapted existing premises in Pupuola and Jyväskylä to its needs, but the new complex is being designed specifically for a rally team. The most important departments will be placed under one roof, which should also improve day-to-day logistics.

Comments from the team principal

Jarmo Lehtinen, head of Toyota Gazoo Racing and a former co-driver of Mikko Hirvonen, says the team has outgrown its current premises, which were not specifically built for its needs. According to him, the new base will be a modern technical centre where engineers, mechanics, designers and drivers work side by side. Lehtinen stresses that Jyväskylä and its surroundings are the heart of Finnish rallying, so the choice of region is especially significant for the team. The location is also convenient logistically: the airport is about 15 minutes away and the main north–south highway is nearby.

Test track

Next to the complex, a test track has already been built, which Toyota will use from next year as a permanent venue for testing and preparing its cars. It includes 800 metres of asphalt and 1.2 kilometres of winding gravel road. The track will become operational in January 2027, and it will allow teams to check how cars perform, for example on jumps and when crossing water obstacles.

Next season

In the 2027 WRC season Toyota will compete with two teams, each with three drivers. Toyota Racing will use GR Celica Rally1 cars, while Gazoo Racing Toyota will compete with GR Yaris Rally1 cars.