Toyota GAZOO Racing Italy has announced its lineup for the 2025 CIAR season, confirming participation in the CIAR and continuing the successful single-brand GR Yaris Rally Cup championship. Thomas Paperini, the 28-year-old champion from Tuscany and 2024 winner of the GR Yaris Rally Cup, will take the helm of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. This vehicle comes fully equipped with official Pirelli supplies, ready for him to compete in the seven stages of the “Tricolore.”
The fifth iteration of the GR Yaris Rally Cup will kick off with the Rally Il Ciocco. This championship, dedicated to the GR Yaris R1T 4×4, encompasses six scheduled events within the “Italian Absolute Rally Championship” calendar and boasts a prize pool exceeding 300,000 euros in cash and value prizes.
Toyota GAZOO Racing Italy is poised for another year of thrilling competitions in the 2025 ‘Italian Absolute Rally Championship.’ Paperini, not only the current champion but also the 2022 winner of this single-make series, will drive the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Toyota Motor Italia has strategically chosen Paperini to advance its commitment to nurturing young talent, aligning with Toyota’s global strategy to support up-and-coming drivers.
Christian Mohorovicich, Marketing Director at Toyota Motor Italia, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are immensely proud to reaffirm our sporting commitments in Italy with Toyota Gazoo Racing Italy. Our involvement last year was highly rewarding, earning us second place in the CIAR at our debut and marking the fifth edition of the GR Yaris Rally Cup. A key aim of our sports programs is to foster the development and growth of young Italian talent, which is why we are delighted to promote Thomas Paperini, a two-time cup winner, to the Italian Championship.”
This year’s sports strategy for Toyota Motor Italia will focus on competing in all events of the Italian Absolute Rally Championship with Thomas Paperini transitioning from the Toyota GR Yaris R1T 4×4—the star of the GR Yaris Rally Cup—to the more seasoned Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. This move comes after the vehicle secured Toyota Gazoo Racing Italy a second-place finish in the 2024 “Tricolore” in its inaugural year on the international sports scene. Paperini will be joined by co-driver Andrea Gabelloni, with whom he clinched the 2024 GR Yaris Rally Cup.
The GR Yaris Rally Cup, now in its fifth edition, is set to present fresh and exciting challenges for the GR Yaris R1T 4×4 at six Italian Absolute Rally Championship events: Rally Il Ciocco (22-23 March), Rally Regione Piemonte (12-13 April), Targa Florio (10-11 May), Rally Due Valli (31 May-1 June), Rally del Lazio (13-14 September), and Rallye Sanremo (18-19 October). The continued allure of the championship is underscored by its substantial prize offering of over 300,000 euros in cash and awards.