Toyota poised to announce WRC return

The announcement is set to be made at 1pm Tokyo time (4am UK), with a WRC return in 2017 expected to be confirmed.

Toyota has not competed at rallying's highest level since 1999, when it pulled the plug on its Corolla WRC in favour of a Formula 1 programme.

The company's current main motorsport programme is in the World Endurance Championship, which it won in 2014 with Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi.

Toyota has talked with increasing enthusiasm about coming back to the WRC but has not previously set out a timetable for its return.

Japanese media reports suggest a major commitment to the WRC will be announced by the world's biggest carmaker.

A source in Japan told AUTOSPORT: "If the WRC's not mentioned in the conference on Friday, it becomes very hard for anything to be done in time for the new regulations coming in 2017. The story is that there will be something."