WRC legend Juha Kankkunen to drive hydrogen Toyota rally car 

Four-time WRC satellite champion and Toyota lawman squad main Juha Kankkunen volition aviator the latest hydrogen-powered rally car from Toyota astatine Rally Finland. The GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept volition marque its debut connected the Harju signifier of the event, which runs from 31 July until 3 August.

The car has been extensively developed astatine the Toyota WRC team’s office successful Jyvaskyla, Finland, and is based astir its existent GR Yaris Rally2 car – albeit fitted with an interior combustion motor fuelled by compressed hydrogen.

Toyota antecedently showcased the exertion successful the WRC astatine Ypres Rally Belgium successful 2022, erstwhile Kankkunen and past Toyota president Akio Toyoda jumped down the wheel. Since then, the conception has undergone further improvement to make the existent iteration of the car, which volition marque its debut successful Finland.

Toyota has heavy invested successful processing hydrogen-powered contention cars arsenic 1 of the options for the aboriginal of motorsport successful a c neutral society. The Japanese car shaper has been competing with hydrogen-powered cars since 2021 erstwhile it raced a modified Corolla successful the Super Taikyu bid successful Japan, with Toyota’s WRC squad main Jari-Matti Latvala among the roster of drivers.

Last month, Toyota unveiled a hydrogen-powered prototype trial car arsenic the adjacent measurement connected its roadworthy to racing with the alternate substance astatine the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Juha Kankkunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Photo by: Toyota Racing

The GR LH2 has been built astatine Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe successful the German metropolis of Cologne astir a chassis from its GR010 Hybrid Le Mans Hypercar. No details of the motor oregon hybrid system, which person been developed astatine Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre successful Japan, were revealed.

In summation to the debut of the GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept, Toyota volition tract a modular GR Yaris Rally2 for Latvala to contention his location lawsuit successful Finland. The 18-time WRC rally victor contested the WRC2 people astatine the lawsuit past year, piloting a Toyota to 2nd successful people and sixth overall.

“I’m truly excited to marque my 20th Rally Finland start, driving the GR Yaris Rally2 unneurotic with Janni Hussi,” said Latvala. 

“It’s Finnish rally contented to people a large day by entering our location event, truthful convey you Akio Toyoda for allowing maine to realise this peculiar accomplishment successful the twelvemonth I turned 40. 

“It’s besides a accidental for maine to enactment crisp astatine the instrumentality of a modern rally car arsenic I supply my feedback into the improvement of this and different cars for TGR-WRT.”