WRC 2023

Find your way to and around Toyota during the WRC!

A fantastic frenzy of power and speed as rally cars race through the fall colors of the Japanese mountainside—Enjoy Rally Japan!: The City of Toyota—the City of Automobiles—is home to Toyota Motor
Corporation as well as numerous automobile industry production bases
and serves as one of the areas in which the WRC will be held. While
known as a center for the automotive industry, nearly 70% of Toyota
City is occupied by forestland with the Yahagigawa River running
through and rural landscapes as far as the eye can see, letting
rally fans enjoy the competitions among a natural backdrop.
From the Service Park at Toyota Stadium to a variety of
Special Stages (SS); such as the Isegami SS, Asahi
Kougen SS, Inabu Dam SS, Lake Mikawako SS,
and this year’s new Toyota Stadium SS;
Toyota delivers to WRC fans!

The City of Toyota—the City of Automobiles—is home to Toyota Motor Corporation as well as numerous automobile industry production bases and serves as one of the areas in which the WRC will be held. While known as a center for the automotive industry, nearly 70% of Toyota City is occupied by forestland with the Yahagigawa River running through and rural landscapes as far as the eye can see, letting rally fans enjoy the competitions among a natural backdrop.
From the Service Park at Toyota Stadium to a variety of Special Stages (SS); such as the Isegami SS, Asahi Kougen SS, Inabu Dam SS, Lake Mikawako SS, and this year’s new Toyota Stadium SS; Toyota delivers to WRC fans!

Event period:: Thursday, November 16–Sunday, November 19, 2023

Venues:: [Service Park]

Toyota Stadium

[Competition locations]

• Aichi Prefecture (Toyota City, Okazaki City,
Shinshiro City, Shitara Town)

• Gifu Prefecture (Ena City, Nakatsugawa City)

Mind-blowing speeds
as the craziest
drivers duke it out…
on public roads!!

The WRC motorsport has been held over 50 years on a whole host of roads around the world, mainly in Europe. The incredible cars used in the races are actually developed with commercial vehicles as their base. From rough gravel roads and highspeed tarmac raceways to roads covered in snow and ice, the cars battle not only the clock but a myriad of challenging road conditions.
Each rally is made up by a number of Special Stages, where drivers and co-drivers race to complete the section in the shortest time possible, and the Liaison Sections (connection zones between the Special Stages). Each team competes for the best total time in the competition with each round lasting 3–4 days. Drivers race through the Special Stages together with their co-drivers, who hold on to pace notes containing info on course conditions, in competitions where a difference of 0.1 seconds makes all the difference between a win and a loss. The WRC rivals Formula 1 as the international pinnacle of motorsports, surging fans around world with electric excitement.

Ticket info

Toyota Stadium Special Stage Spectator Ticket

FORUM8 Rally Japan 2023 aims to please with the highly anticipated, first-time Toyota Stadium Special Stage, where you can watch rally cars dual along a special course set up inside the stadium! Plus, Toyota Stadium hosts the Ceremonial Start on the 16th, the Ceremonial Finish award ceremony on the 19th, and more. Many other contents are currently in the works!

Available Special Stages:
Thu, Nov 16: Toyota Stadium Special Stage at Toyota Stadium (SS1 / Ceremonial Start)
Fri, Nov 17: Toyota Stadium Special Stage at Toyota Stadium (SS8)
Sat, Nov 18: Toyota Stadium Special Stage at Toyota Stadium (SS16)
Sun, Nov 19: Toyota Stadium Special Stage at Toyota Stadium (Ceremonial Finish)
▶Purchase tickets (External link to Ticket PIA)
▶Competition details

WRC Rally Week at a glance


	Ceremonial Start The Ceremonial Start at Toyota Stadium acts as a dazzling opening to the competition, allowing you to see the world’s leading rallyists at close quarters. Toyota Stadium also acts as the Service Park, where you can see up close mechanics as they work their magic as well as drivers and engineers conferring with one another.

Special Stages & Liaison Sections: Public roads are closed off as competing vehicles race over them in a battle against the clock. One Special Stage may be anywhere from a few kilometers to over 50. Together with the Liaison Sections, the distance driven in a single competition can surpass 1,000 kilometers. It’s entirely possible to happen upon a competing car at a stoplight on its way to a Special Stage!

Power Stage & Ceremonial Finish: The final day of the round entails a unique Special Stage known as the “Power Stage”, where teams can pick up bonus points in addition to their overall ranking. The competition closes with the Ceremonial Finish, featuring an awards ceremony. You just may watch the driver of the GR Yaris (the Toyota Motor Company sports vehicle used by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) crowned champion of this season!

Three teams vying for victory

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing
WORLD RALLY TEAM

Headquarters: Japan

Founded: 2016

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing made a return to the WRC in 2017 as the Toyota-backed team and took the Manufacturers’ Title in 2018. The team is based in Finland with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Europe at the helm of engine development. With three of the all-new “Toyota GR Yaris Rally1” cars behind them, the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team is sure to sway the fight for the title.
HYUNDAI SHELL MOBIS
WORLD RALLY TEAM

Headquarters: Germany

Founded: 2012

Rejoining the WRC in 2014, the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team boasts a wealth of achievements, such as holding the Manufacturer’s Title for the 2019-2020 season. The team wields three of the new “Hyundai i20 N WRC Rally1” cars, based on the Hyundai i20 N. And with a crew of champion drivers, the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team is certainly at an advantage in the 2023 battle for victory.
M-SPORT FORD
WORLD RALLY TEAM

Headquarters: England

Founded: 2006

The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team has been in charge of vehicle development and rally operations as Ford’s technical supplier since 1997 and took the Manufacturer’s Title in the 2006-2007 season. The team is featuring a maximum of four of the all-new “Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1” car. With incredibly solid cars, M-Sports Ford definitely has rally fans’ attention.

Featured
Japanese driver

Takamoto Katsuta

Born in Aichi Prefecture, March 17, 1993. Katsuta made his racing debut at 11 years old with go-karts before going on to take the title of Formula Challenge Japan champion at the age of 18. He later took second place at the Formula 3 series after turning 20, continuing to drive in Formula 3 from 2014 while also competing in the All Japan Rally Championship, where he won his first JN Class victory in Round 8. He took to the podium with 3rd place in the WRC2 class of the FIA WRC held in Italy, 2017. The following year in 2018, he took his first victory for WRC2 in Round 2 of the FIA WRC in Sweden.
He then triumphed at the 2019 WRC’s Round 6 WRC2 class in Chile, bagged two races with the Yaris World Rally Car at the Finland Rally Championship, and drove the Yaris World Rally Car in the headline category of the WRC’s Rally Germany and Rally Spain.
Katsuta went on to race in five headline categories with the Yaris World Rally Car in 2020, and took the Power Stage in the final round of Rally Monza, making a name for himself with his first record speed. In 2021, he ranked within the top sixth places for six consecutive races after the competition began and stepped up to his first WRC podium with second place at Safari Rally Kenya. Katsuta took a triumphant third at the 2022 Rally Japan, and everyone expects even better for 2023.

Course info

Date	Starting time	Event	Toyota City viewing area
'Thu, 11/16	Around 9:00 am	Shakedown	Kuragaike Park
	Around 6:00 pm	Ceremonial Start	Toyota Stadium
	Around 7:00 pm	SS1 Toyota Stadium SS 1	Toyota Stadium
'Fri, 11/17	Around 7:00 am	SS2 Isegami’s Tunnel 1	Isegami (Asahi Kougen Genkimura)
	Around 8:00 am	SS3 Inabu Dam 1	Kuroda Dam (Inabu)
	Around 8:50 am	SS4 Shitara Town 1	—
	Around 1:30 pm	SS5 Isegami’s Tunnel 2	Isegami (Asahi Kougen Genkimura)
	Around 2:30 pm	SS6 Inabu Dam 2	Kuroda Dam (Inabu)
	Around 3:30 pm	SS7 Shitara Town 2	—
	Around 7:30 pm	SS8 Toyota Stadium SS 2	Toyota Stadium
'Sat, 11/18	Around 9:00 am	SS9 Nukata Forest 1	—
	Around 10:00 am	SS10 Lake Mikawako 1	Lake Mikawako
	Around 12:10 pm	SS11 Okazaki City 1	—
	Around 12:20 pm	SS12 Okazaki City 2	—
	Around 1:30 pm	SS13 Nukata Forest 2	—
	Around 2:30 pm	SS14 Lake Mikawako 2	Lake Mikawako
	Around 3:40 pm	SS15 Shinshiro City	—
	Around 7:30 pm	SS16 Toyota Stadium SS 3	Toyota Stadium
'Sun, 11/19	Around 7:00 am	SS17 Asahi Kougen	Asahi Kougen (Asahi Nature Highland [Asahi Kogen Genki-Mura])
	Around 8:00 am	SS18 Ena City 1	—
	Around 9:00 am	SS19 Nenoue Plateau 1	—
	Around 10:50 am	SS20 Ena City 2	—
	Around 11:50 am	SS21 Nenoue Plateau 2	—
	Around 2:10 pm	SS22 Asahi Kougen Wolf Power Stage	Asahi Kougen (Asahi Nature Highland [Asahi Kogen Genki-Mura])

Note:
• The schedule above is current as of June, 2023. Changes may occur as the championship unfolds.