Toyota matched the WRC-era record with its 10th manufacturers’ title in Chile. Juha Kankkunen’s verdict adds weight to its six-season dynasty.
Toyota GAZOO Racing claimed its sixth straight World Rally Championship manufacturers’ crown at Rally Chile BIOBÍO on September 13, 2026, matching the WRC-era record of 10 titles. Juha Kankkunen described the achievement as “quite incredible,” a verdict with added authority from a four-time drivers’ champion whose career spanned several of rallying’s defining teams and technical periods.
Toyota is now level at the top, but the route to that mark matters. Its latest championship came with victory at Rally Chile for Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson, who earned 25 points after taking a 19.1-second lead into Sunday. Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais placed second and scored 17, with Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria third on 15 points.
A dynasty built without one statistical giant
The Chile result extended Toyota’s run to six consecutive manufacturers’ championships. Such sustained success often points to one exceptional driver collecting most of the silverware. This period, however, has produced several Toyota winners, with Solberg making the decisive contribution most recently.
Chile marked Solberg’s third WRC victory.
That fact gives Toyota’s run a distinctive profile. Solberg has not yet compiled the career totals associated with Sébastien Loeb or Ogier, yet he delivered the victory that accompanied a record-equalling manufacturers’ title. Toyota’s strongest historical case rests on a competitive structure that turns changing driver lineups into the same championship result.
Ogier’s second place added weight to that argument. He is one of the two drivers at the statistical summit of the WRC, but Toyota did not require him to win in Chile. Solberg controlled the rally, while Ogier contributed another valuable finish. Two generations played different roles in the same title campaign.
Kankkunen connects Toyota’s two successful ages
Kankkunen’s response reflects more than admiration. His four drivers’ championships rank him among the foremost figures of the Group B and Group A years, when manufacturer identities were closely connected to specific regulations and shorter competitive cycles.
Toyota’s current streak comes from a different age. Rally Chile ran from September 10 through September 13, featuring modern points structures and specialist contributions across the field. Evans saw his championship lead cut to 17 points after a puncture on the penultimate stage denied him a likely second-place finish. Thierry Neuville had already rolled on the opening stage of Saturday’s leg.
Both incidents count in any assessment of greatness. Sustained manufacturer success depends on absorbing individual setbacks. Toyota secured the manufacturers’ championship in Chile despite its championship leader suffering a late puncture and finishing outside the podium positions.
Kankkunen’s verdict reflects the organizational scale of the feat. Six straight titles require consistent performance through crew changes, different rally conditions and evolving championship fights. Comparing Toyota with previous dynasties must therefore extend beyond the trophy count.
Solberg provides a new type of evidence
Solberg led Evans by 10.1 seconds at Saturday’s midday service, then widened the margin to 19.1 seconds before the final day. That progression showed control, rather than a result owed entirely to Evans’ puncture. The late failure changed the podium, but Solberg had already taken command.
The pattern shows a team able to put a developing winner at the front while retaining Ogier’s established scoring strength. Solberg collected 25 points, eight more than Ogier. Their combined returns offered the clearest current measure of Toyota’s depth.
That differs from deciding the greatest driver. Loeb and Ogier can be compared through championships, victories, longevity or adaptability. A manufacturer should be judged by how consistently it performs as the driver behind the wheel changes. Chile strengthened Toyota’s case by that exact standard.
Why six straight matters
A title total records accumulated success. A streak records resistance to interruption.
Toyota’s sixth consecutive crown means its rivals have failed to end its control across six championship campaigns. That statistic has particular force because each season resets the practical challenge. Cars need fresh preparation and crews must score again, while operational mistakes can wipe out an advantage carried from the previous year.
Chile showed that volatility. Evans surrendered a likely second place after a puncture on the penultimate stage, while Neuville began Saturday with a roll. In WRC2, Yohan Rossel secured his third victory of 2026 and his first on gravel, as Robert Virves moved closer to the title. Ali Türkkan won WRC3 and became the first Turkish driver to claim the Junior WRC championship after finishing second to Leevi Lassila in that classification.
One weekend shifted several competitive stories across the categories. Toyota’s manufacturers’ campaign had enough strength to settle its outcome early.
The record chase moves to Italy
The debate over greatness now has a new dividing line. Toyota has 10 WRC-era manufacturers’ championships and six consecutive crowns, matching the headline numbers that define the historic benchmark. Winning in Chile with Solberg, while Ogier finished second and Evans hit late trouble, adds further weight to its case.
No objective formula can settle rankings across different eras. Toyota’s strongest claim comes from delivering repeated success across generations, rather than relying on nostalgia or the statistics of one superstar. Kankkunen’s “quite incredible” verdict conveys the scale of the achievement without treating every era as identical.
The next test starts at Rally Italy, scheduled for October 1 through October 4, before Rally Saudi Arabia closes the listed calendar from November 11 through November 14.
