Rally Japan 2023 — Forum8 Rally Japan, Round 13 of the FIA World Rally Championship, held 16–19 November 2023 across Aichi and Gifu prefectures — was the season's closing act. Sébastien Ogier, running a selected-rounds programme for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT in 2023, steered car No. 17 to second overall alongside Vincent Landais, the new co-driver who had taken over from the retired Julien Ingrassia at the start of the season. Spark Model's 1:43 resin piece documents that result precisely.
The Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid
The GR Yaris Rally1 is Toyota Gazoo Racing's weapon built to the WRC's 2022-generation Rally1 regulations. The powertrain combines a 1.6-litre direct-injection turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine — producing around 500 hp in combined output — with a mandatory 100 kW electric motor unit supplied by Compact Dynamics. The bodyshell dimensions are shared with the road-going GR Yaris, a homologation requirement that links the competition car directly to the production model. This generation marked a significant regulatory shift in WRC, introducing hybrid propulsion for the first time at world championship level.
Ogier, Landais, and the 2023 WRC Finale
Sébastien Ogier has never been a fixture on the full WRC calendar since stepping back to a part-time programme, which makes each of his entries — and the livery variants they generate — relatively limited in number. At Rally Japan 2023, paired with Vincent Landais in only their first season together, the duo delivered a composed second-place finish. Landais had replaced the legendary Julien Ingrassia, Ogier's co-driver throughout his eight world championship titles, at the beginning of 2023 — a generational handover that WRC followers noted immediately. The white-and-red Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT livery with TOYOTA and GR branding on car No. 17 is reproduced exactly as it ran through the Aichi and Gifu stages.
Spark Model in 1:43 Scale Resin
Spark Model is the reference producer for 1:43 scale model rally cars in resin, with an extensive WRC catalogue that tracks the championship season by season. This piece follows standard Spark 1:43 construction: a resin body with fine surface detail reproducing the car's aero bodywork, rally plate, and competition livery graphics. The subject is specific — No. 17, Ogier and Landais, Rally Japan 2023, 2nd overall — with no ambiguity about the event or the result being commemorated.
In the Display Cabinet
This model sits naturally alongside other Spark 1:43 WRC releases from the 2023 season — the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 No. 18 of Katsuta and Johnston at Rally Japan, or the Ford Puma Rally1 No. 19 of Loeb at the same event. Collectors building a Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT sequence will want to pair it with the No. 8 Ogier and Landais from Rally Monte Carlo 2023 and the No. 69 Rovanperä and Halttunen 2022 WRC Champion car. For those tracking the hybrid Rally1 era from its 2022 introduction, this piece is a direct and datable reference point for the technology's second season in competition.
Frequently asked questions
What is the scale of this Spark Model?
It is a 1:43 scale model, the standard format for Spark Model's WRC rally car series.
What material is the model made from?
The model is built in resin, consistent with Spark Model's 1:43 construction standard.
What result does this model represent?
Car No. 17, driven by Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, finished 2nd overall at Rally Japan 2023, Round 13 and the final round of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship.
Who is Vincent Landais and why does this pairing matter?
Vincent Landais became Ogier's co-driver at the start of the 2023 season, replacing Julien Ingrassia who retired. Rally Japan 2023 was among the first full-season results for this new pairing, and their part-time programme means relatively few livery variants exist for the 2023 car.
