Champion's Lair

When in 2017 Toyota est revenu en WRC, Tommi Mäkinen had set up the team in Puuppola, a small town north of Jyväskylä. When the four-time world champion left at the end of the 2019 season, Toyota Gazoo Racing began a change by looking for another place to work. A former electrical components factory was chosen. In addition to having a large floor space, the buildings are located a few kilometers from the city center of Jyväskylä in a very quiet area out of sight. Inside, everything has been implemented with emphasis on efficiency. The various laboratories (hydraulics, suspension, shock absorbers, etc.) are established around the Yaris assembly boxes.

The chassis assembly workshop for the next Yaris Rally1 (Loïc Rocci)

Two cars per driver were in varying states of construction. As you move around inside the impressive structure, order and organization are evident with shelves climbing to the ceiling filled with bodywork components. Parts labeled Ypres are ready to go, Estonia's crates are practically empty, the space reserved for cleaning is occupied by the test car. Around 250 people of 10 different nationalities work on this site where the Rally1 cars are manufactured, which won 5 of the 7 races run this year.