Season Description The 2026 World Rally Championship (WRC) season concluded with a dramatic, high-stakes finale at Rally Italia Sardegna after the cancellation of Rally Saudi Arabia reduced the season to 13 rounds.
Elfyn Evans secured his maiden WRC Drivers' Championship, alongside co-driver Scott Martin, ending years of close runner-up finishes. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT comfortably dominated the season to claim their 10th Manufacturers' title.
Entering the final round in Sardinia, three drivers (Evans, Solberg, and Pajari) were locked in a winner-takes-all title fight. Solberg led the rally and looked destined for the crown, but a devastating mistake just two corners from the end of the final Powerstage caused him to slide off-course. While Solberg still won the rally, his lack of Powerstage points allowed Evans to snatch the world title by a slim 5-point margin.
Toyota completely controlled the narrative of the 2026 season. Aside from wrapping up the Manufacturers' title early in Chile, the team saw historic achievements—including an all-Toyota podium lockout at Rallye Monte-Carlo (where Solberg became its youngest-ever winner) and a 1-2-3-4 finish on the snow of Rally Sweden.
The 2026 season also served as a historic farewell to the current iteration of Rally1 regulations and the GR Yaris Rally1 car—which ended its run as the most successful car in WRC history.