In partnership with Toyota GB, the UK’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship has introduced a special ‘Design a Rally Car Livery’ initiative open to all those enrolled at UK schools and colleges. The winning entry will then be applied to a Toyota GR Yaris and unveiled by Britain’s top rally driver, Elfyn Evans, when the WRC stars and cars perform in Wales in just under six months’ time.

“This is a great initiative and very timely, too, with schools throughout the country still closed,” enthused Hugh Chambers, Chief Executive of Motorsport UK, organiser of Wales Rally GB. “The competition will not only help to keep children of all ages amused during these unprecedented times but will also give the winner something really outstanding to which they can look forward come the autumn. It must be every young motor sport fan’s dream to see their very own racy livery creation bought to life.”

Students wishing to partake in this outstanding opportunity can download an entry form – as well as official design templates and further details including ‘terms and conditions’ – from the dedicated section on the Wales Rally GB website accessed via the ‘Spectators’ navigation. With a closing date of Friday 28 August, all those entering have the rest of this term plus plenty of time in the summer holidays to finalise their designs.

While runners-up will receive goody bags including rally merchandise, the overall winner will be invited to the Wales Rally GB free-to-enter Service Park Headquarters in Deeside, north Wales on Thursday 29 October for a prize-giving ceremony staged within the event’s STEM showcase – an interactive exhibition staged to inspire students studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths at schools within the region.

Adding to the celebrations, full hospitality and a personal behind-the-scenes insight into one of the world’s most exciting sports will be provided to the winner and three guests by the Toyota Gazoo World Rally Team.

The partnership with Toyota is very pertinent as the high-profile world championship rally is based alongside the company’s engine manufacturing plant in Flintshire. Moreover, the title-winning Toyota Gazoo WRT now includes Elfyn Evans in its driver line-up. The Welshman joined the team at the start of this season and currently holds second place in the points standings after the three opening rounds which included a stirring win in Sweden.

Toyota has supported a similar Wales Rally GB livery competition since 2017, though in previous years the winning design has been applied to a GT86 sportscar rather than the GR Yaris – the new performance model born from Toyota’s title winning experience in the WRC.

“With the launch of new GR Yaris later in the year, it seemed the perfect opportunity to highlight this new model with the Wales Rally GB livery competition. Forged from success in the heat of competition, it brings motorsport technology and design directly to the world of the road car,” said Scott Brownlee, Toyota GB General Manager, Press Relations & Social Media.

Although the WRC is currently on hold in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, plans for this year’s Wales Rally GB (29 October – 1 November) are well advanced and the full competitive route – largely set in the legendary forests of mid and north Wales – will be announced in the next few weeks. While admission to the Service Park hub and STEM Showcase will be free to all-comers, a full range of tickets will go on sale later in the year for those wishing to experience the spectacular WRC action on the competitive timed sections.