Watch Toyota’s WRC Yaris in action

Is Toyota closing in on its long-awaited return to the WRC? Well, this Yaris WRC prototype - caught testing this week in the demanding wilderness that is rural Belgium - suggests just that.

Toyota has been testing this souped supermini - which would be its first WRC car in 14 years - since March, but remains tight-lipped on exactly when it plans to return to the sport.

TMG, Toyota's motorsport arm, ruled out the idea of the Yaris competing in the 2015 season. We suspect Toyota may be waiting for 2017, when a raft of yet-to-be announced rule changes tasked with making the sport more exciting finally come into force.

Until the Yaris WRC makes its competitive debut, then, we'll have to make do with watching Stephane Sarrazin blast this mean-looking prototype around Belgium. No hardship, that...

Warning: the following video contains much sidewaysness...