Morizo issued a spirited challenge to Hyundai through a newspaper ad. Together with its rivals, Toyota aims to keep the WRC excitement red-hot in 2026.
Rallye Monte-Carlo, the opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), took place from January 22 to 25. Another season of intense competition, staged on roads around the globe, has kicked off with a bang.
Even with Monte-Carlo delivering extremely challenging conditions, shifting suddenly from dry roads to snow and ice, team newcomer Oliver Solberg claimed victory with a spectacular display of driving. Elfyn Evans and Sébastien Ogier followed in second and third, securing a clean sweep of the podium for Toyota in the best possible start to the season.
On February 2, with the excitement of the battle still fresh, Chairman Akio Toyoda/Morizo sent a message to Hyundai through this newspaper ad:
현대자동차도, 승부욕이 강한 것 같습니다만, 토요타 역시 승부욕이 매우 강합니다.
No doubt Hyundai is eager to win, but at Toyota we are just as fired up
올해도 다시 멋진 라이벌로 함께 달릴 수 있는 것이 더 없이 기쁘고, 몹시 기대됩니다.
We are excited to race alongside such great rivals again this year
라이벌과 경쟁하며 느끼는 분함과 기쁨이 있기에 서로가 더 좋은 차 만들기에 박차를 가할 수 있는 것이라 생각합니다.
The rivalry brings joy and disappointment alike, which fuels both sides to continue making ever-better cars
현대자동차 여러분! 이번 시즌도 팬들의 마음을 뜨겁게 달굴 멋진 랠리를 함께 즐깁시다!
To everyone at Hyundai, let’s enjoy another season of rally that sets fans’ hearts racing!
토요다 아키오
Akio Toyoda
랠리 팬의 한 사람으로서, 현대와 포드 외에도 다른 라이벌들이 등장하면 더욱 분위기가 뜨거워질 텐데…라는 생각을 하고 있습니다. 꼭 그렇게 되기를 !!
As a rally fan, seeing other rivals emerge alongside Hyundai and Ford would only add to the excitement. Let’s go!
MORIZO
The message conveys respect for Toyota’s rivals, in both motorsports and the pursuit of ever-better carmaking, as well as a burning ambition to reach even greater heights.
This friendly exchange of newspaper ads between the two companies began in 2024, after the manufacturers’ title battle went right down to the wire in the season’s final round, Rally Japan. The following morning, Morizo published a message to Executive Chair Euisun Chung and the team at Hyundai.
In December 2025, when Toyota secured the drivers’, co-drivers’, and manufacturers’ championships, a message of congratulations arrived from Hyundai.
For the past few years, Toyota and Hyundai have waged a fierce battle for every WRC title.
Whether chasing or being chased, both manufacturers are constantly seeking the next improvement, honing their people, teams, and cars, and setting their sights on ever-greater heights.
Both sides acknowledge and honor each other’s efforts, and that relationship is vividly reflected on the page.
This time, however, it seems the message wasn’t just meant for Hyundai.
Since 2020, the WRC’s top category has been a three-way contest between Hyundai, Ford, and Toyota.
Tucked away between the signatures of Akio Toyoda and Morizo, Toyota’s chairman penned his true feelings. It speaks of his passion for cars and his resolve to shape the future of mobility, as well as his anticipation of new challengers taking the stage.