WRC 2026: Toyota rules out team orders with two rounds left
Toyota Gazoo Racing team principal Juha Kankkunen has ruled out team orders for the final two rounds of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship season. With Elfyn Evans, Sami Pajari and Oliver Solberg separated by just 21 points after Rally Chile Bio Bío, all three Toyota drivers remain in contention for the drivers' title. The constructors' championship is already secured.
Kankkunen's position on team orders
"The championship should be won by the best. Everything else would, in my opinion, be unfair," Kankkunen said. He grounded the decision in his own experience as a driver: "Even as a driver I thought to myself: if I ever run a team, I will never tell a driver who is going well to let the other one past."
Kankkunen said he expects none of the three to ease off. He described the team's role as providing the best possible car and technical support so that the drivers can settle among themselves who is fastest this year. "The biggest secret is these guys here. I have the best drivers," he said.
What happened in Chile
Oliver Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson won Rally Chile Bio Bío, leading 15 of 16 special stages and finishing 16.6 seconds ahead of Sébastien Ogier. Solberg suffered a puncture late in the 8.78 km BioBío stage but held the lead. The result was his third WRC career victory.
Ogier and Vincent Landais took second, with Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria in a Hyundai completing the podium in third. Ogier's second place was also his 120th WRC podium, matching the all-time record held by Sébastien Loeb. Toyota's one-two secured the constructors' title, the team's tenth overall, equaling Lancia's all-time record.
The pivotal moment for the drivers' standings came on the penultimate special stage, when Evans suffered a puncture and stopped for a tire change, losing around two minutes and dropping from second to fifth overall. Pajari finished fourth, Evans fifth.
Saturday brought a difficult day for several crews. Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe rolled on the first stage of the day and did not start Sunday. Jon Armstrong hit a bank on the same stage, reached the end of the day with heavy damage and then withdrew. In WRC2, Nikolay Gryazin rolled his Lancia, which caught fire; both crew members were unhurt.
Standings with two rounds remaining
Evans has led the drivers' standings since April's Rally Islas Canarias. Pajari is now 17 points back, Solberg 21. Two rounds remain: Rally Italia Sardegna (October 1–4, 2026) and Rally Saudi Arabia.
Evans admitted he had expected his lead to disappear sooner. "I was expecting to lose the lead of the championship by now, to be honest, after opening the road for so many rallies," he told DirtFish. He had held a 30-point advantage after Rally Finland and had anticipated that more dry gravel rounds with a first-on-road starting position would erode it. "I would have rather it be 30 after I got my points from today," he said after Chile. "It's all open, basically. It's a full three-way fight."
Evans weighing a strategic approach in Saudi Arabia
Evans acknowledged he may consider a strategic approach at Rally Saudi Arabia if the title fight remains tight. Running first on the road in Jeddah carries a significant road-cleaning penalty on rough gravel, and Evans has direct experience of the consequences. At Rally Saudi Arabia last year, he ran first on the road, stopped to change a puncture, and effectively ended his title challenge. Ogier won that event and claimed a ninth championship, finishing more than a minute behind overall winner Neuville, who had started fifth on the road.
"It's a difficult call. I've never been a fan of deliberately not scoring points," Evans said. "But obviously, having seen how bad the road cleaning was there last year, I think you'd be stupid not to consider it if the opportunity came." His immediate focus, he added, is Sardinia: "It'll just be to do the best job possible in Sardinia and that's all."
Pajari was measured about the run-in. "In this sport things can change really, really quickly, but we still have a couple more races to do and the fight is still very open," the Finn said. The next direct confrontation between all three title contenders is Rally Italia Sardegna, October 1–4, 2026.
FAQ
Who won Rally Chile Bio Bío 2026?
Oliver Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson won for Toyota Gazoo Racing, leading 15 of 16 special stages and finishing 16.6 seconds clear of Sébastien Ogier. Adrien Fourmaux was third.
How close is the 2026 WRC drivers' championship?
Elfyn Evans leads, with Sami Pajari 17 points behind and Oliver Solberg 21 points back. All three drive for Toyota Gazoo Racing.
Why is Toyota not using team orders?
Team principal Juha Kankkunen has stated that the title should go to the best driver. He drew on his own driving career to explain why he would not instruct a driver who is performing well to yield to a teammate.
How many rounds are left in the 2026 WRC season?
Two: Rally Italia Sardegna (October 1–4, 2026) and Rally Saudi Arabia.
Why might Evans consider dropping points in Saudi Arabia?
Running first on the road at Saudi Arabia means cleaning heavy gravel, which typically costs significant time. At the same event last year, Evans ran first on the road, punctured and lost his title chance. He has said he would consider a strategic approach if the situation requires it, but his priority now is Sardinia.