Does Toyota have a racing team?
Yes. Toyota operates a factory racing program under Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR), fielding official teams in major global series and supporting endurance and rally efforts worldwide.
What is Toyota Gazoo Racing?
TGR is the official motorsport division of Toyota, created to oversee factory-backed competition and to coordinate development of race cars and technology that can cross-pollinate with road cars. The Gazoo brand emerged from Toyota's long-running tuning and motorsport heritage and was formalized into a global works effort in the 2010s, aligning Toyota's racing ambitions under a single banner.
Mission and scope
Beyond winning races, TGR serves as a technology incubator for Toyota's GR performance line and a bridge between racing and consumer cars. It operates across multiple continents and disciplines, adapting to the regulatory frameworks of each series while leveraging Toyota's manufacturing resources.
Key racing programs
Here is how Toyota channels its racing ambitions across major championship platforms.
- World Rally Championship (WRC) — Factory team: Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team (WRT) fields the Yaris WRC, pursuing drivers' and constructors' titles.
- FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans — Factory squad with the GR010 Hybrid in the Hypercar class; the program has earned multiple endurance wins since its debut in 2021.
- Super GT (Japan) — Toyota takes part in the GT500 class with GR Supra-based machines, operated by multiple factory-backed teams in the top tier of Japanese sports car racing.
- Dakar Rally — Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa fields the Toyota Hilux in cross-country rally events, with podiums and stage results across the continent.
- NASCAR and North American motorsport — Toyota competes as a manufacturer in the NASCAR Cup Series through partner teams (such as Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing), with support and development provided by Toyota Gazoo Racing and TRD.
Together, these programs illustrate Toyota's commitment to global motorsport, spanning rallying, endurance racing, and regional series, while leveraging GR models to connect racing with road cars.
Recent milestones and impact
These high-profile milestones illustrate the peak achievements and ongoing influence of Toyota's racing program.
- WRC: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT secured the Drivers' Championship with Kalle Rovanperä in 2022, cementing Toyota's status as a title contender in the era of hybrid rally cars.
- FIA WEC/Le Mans: The GR010 Hybrid has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other key endurance races since its debut in 2021, reinforcing Toyota's dominance in top-level endurance competition.
- Dakar: The Hilux-based works team has delivered strong results in the Dakar Rally, showcasing reliability and endurance under extreme conditions.
These results reinforce Toyota's strategy of long-term investment in hybrid performance and global racing credibility, while also boosting the development of GR-branded road cars.
Summary
Yes—Toyota maintains a robust, multi-series racing program under Toyota Gazoo Racing. Through WRC, WEC/Le Mans, Super GT, Dakar, and manufacturer-backed efforts in NASCAR, the program serves as both a competitive platform and a technology incubator that feeds back into Toyota's consumer vehicles and the GR performance division.
