RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - A commanding performance at the opening round of Indonesia’s national sprint rally championship underlined Toyota Gazoo Racing Indonesia’s early-season dominance, with driver Ryan Nirwan securing a victory in North Sumatra.

Toyota Gazoo Racing Indonesia made a strong start to the 2026 National Sprint Rally Championship, claiming the top podium at the North Sumatra Sport Center Complex in Deli Serdang over the weekend.

The win was delivered by Ryan Nirwan, alongside navigator Adi Indiarto, following a consistent performance from the outset using the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 on tarmac stages.

“Thank you to Toyota Astra Motor and Toyota Gazoo Racing Indonesia, TCD Asia Pacific Indonesia, TMO, PT Balikpapan Ready Mix Group and all crew, who have maintained the positive momentum since last year," Ryan said in a written statement on Monday, April 13, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

"Everything was very well prepared for this opening series,” he added.

Ryan dominated the rally by posting the fastest times across all special stages (SS), maintaining a safe margin over his rivals from the first leg. He clocked 4 minutes 35.8 seconds in SS1 and improved to 4 minutes 34.3 seconds in SS2.

His pace increased further in the second leg, recording 4 minutes 29.5 seconds in SS3 and finishing with 4 minutes 30.3 seconds in SS4. The result gave him a lead of more than seven seconds over his closest competitor from day one, securing maximum points in the opening round.

Ryan described the victory as an important foundation for the 2026 season and proof of strong team coordination. “We have a very good starting point, achieving full points and showing what I think is an outstanding performance. Surprisingly, the gap to the closest rival was quite significant,” he added.

The Balikpapan-born driver credited thorough preparation, including his experience at the Adelaide Rally 2025, which also featured tarmac conditions.

According to him, that experience provided valuable lessons in handling high-speed asphalt stages, which he successfully applied in this rally. “I feel comfortable on tarmac and have had consistent results. The experience in Adelaide helped improve my performance here,” he concluded. ***