The 2022 WRC season marked a genuine watershed: Rally1 regulations brought mandatory hybrid assistance to the top class for the first time, and Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT arrived with the GR Yaris Rally1 as its homologation contender. Round 9, the Renties Ypres Rally Belgium held on 18–21 August 2022, produced a notable chapter in that story — one now preserved by IXO Models at 1:43.
The GR Yaris Rally1 — Toyota's First Hybrid WRC Weapon
Toyota replaced the Yaris WRC with the GR Yaris Rally1 for the 2022 season under the FIA's new Rally1 framework. Like every Rally1 contender that year, it carried a standardised Compact Dynamics hybrid unit capable of delivering up to 100 kW of electrical assistance, integrated with a 1.6-litre turbocharged inline-3 petrol engine. The overall bodyshell dimensions follow those of the road-going GR Yaris, a direct requirement of WRC homologation rules.
Lappi at Ypres — A Selective Return to the Front Line
When Sébastien Ogier moved to a part-time schedule for 2022, Esapekka Lappi was brought back into the full Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT lineup for selected rounds. Paired with co-driver Janne Ferm, Lappi drove car #3 at the Renties Ypres Rally Belgium, finishing 4th overall. The rally itself is a collector favourite: run entirely on asphalt around Ypres, West Flanders, it is one of the most technically demanding tarmac events on the WRC calendar and carries a devoted fanbase among pure-tarmac enthusiasts. Car #3 wore the 2022 team scheme: white bodywork with red and black Toyota Gazoo Racing branding, GR logo, and Castrol and Red Bull sponsor decals.
The IXO Models 1:43 Scale Model
This 1:43 scale model is produced by IXO Models and represents car #3 — Lappi and Ferm's GR Yaris Rally1 — specifically from the 2022 Rally Ypres. IXO Models is a long-established specialist in small-scale motorsport replicas, with a catalogue that places strong emphasis on WRC subjects across multiple eras. The livery replication covers the team's 2022 white base with the full sponsor and branding layout as run at that round.
In the Display Cabinet — Building the 2022 Toyota WRT Grid
This model sits naturally alongside other 1:43 representations of the 2022 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT lineup: the #69 of Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen (that season's championship winners) and the #33 of Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin provide the full three-car factory squad. Collectors focused on tarmac events or the inaugural Rally1 hybrid season will find car #3 from Ypres a precise and contextually significant addition to a 2022 WRC display.
Frequently asked questions
Who drove car #3 at the 2022 Rally Ypres?
Esapekka Lappi and co-driver Janne Ferm drove car #3 for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT at the 2022 Renties Ypres Rally Belgium, finishing 4th overall.
What was the Rally1 hybrid system on the GR Yaris?
All 2022 Rally1 cars used a standardised Compact Dynamics hybrid unit mandated by the FIA, providing up to 100 kW of electrical assistance alongside the 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
Who makes this 1:43 scale model?
The model is produced by IXO Models, a specialist in small-scale motorsport replicas, at 1:43 scale.
Which round of the 2022 WRC was Rally Ypres?
The Renties Ypres Rally Belgium was Round 9 of the 2022 WRC season, held on 18–21 August 2022 on asphalt roads around Ypres, West Flanders.
