Oliver Solberg’s Toyota GR Yaris was eliminated from Rally Japan after a high‑speed left‑hand corner on stage 10 sent the rear end into a tree, ending his pursuit of the rally lead.
Lead Position Tightens After Solberg’s Exit
Elfyn Evans inherited sole ownership of first place, now holding a 14.6‑second advantage over nine‑time champion Sébastien Ogier, who topped the stage before a red flag was deployed following the WRC2 incident involving Diego Domínguez’s GR Yaris Rally2. Evans admitted the need to navigate around Solberg’s damaged car cost valuable seconds, noting, “We lost a lot of time to pass him safely, so not ideal.”
Ogier, who finished 5.5 seconds behind Evans, confirmed he had not been surprised by the crash, describing Solberg’s risk level that morning as “too high” and expressing disappointment at the outcome.
Team Management Weighs In on the Accident
Toyota Gazoo Racing sporting director Kaj Lindström deferred judgment to Ogier, stating that the French driver is best positioned to assess whether Solberg was over‑extending, and labeled the situation “very unfortunate.”
The incident marks Solberg’s third major accident of the season, following prior crashes in Croatia and the Canary Islands, underscoring the challenges the young driver faces in maintaining competitive pace without compromising safety.
Top‑Five Shuffle After the Crash
With Solberg out, teammate Sami Pajari moves up to third overall, while fellow Toyota Takamoto Katsuta occupies fourth place. French driver Adrien Fourmaux rounds out the leading quintet, completing the reshuffled podium prospects for the remainder of the event.
As the rally progresses, the battle for the remaining stages will hinge on how Evans manages his lead, whether Ogier can close the gap, and if Toyota can recover momentum despite the setback to Solberg.
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