Rally Japan

Hayden Paddon has signalled that his participation in Rally Japan could be the final time he pilots a Rally1 Hyundai, while he continues to lobby for a gravel event later in the season. Strong tarmac showing and the search for gravel After a 2018 hiatus, the former WRC victor returned to the top tier alongside […]

Hyundai World Rally Championship drivers walked away from Rally Japan without a top‑five finish, leaving the camp to regroup as Toyota claimed the podium sweep. Japanese asphalt round exposes performance gap After Toyota’s dominant 1‑2‑3‑4 result in the Canary Islands, expectations rose that the French‑based squad could close the margin in Japan. Thierry Neuville showed promise on […]

Sebastien Ogier pinpointed a poor road start and the extreme heat‑softened hard tarmac tyre as the twin reasons he could not overtake Rally Japan champion Elfyn Evans. Road‑position disadvantage cost precious seconds Starting sixth, Ogier immediately fell behind on the dirtying stages, losing 16.7 seconds to Evans on the first pass through Isegami’s Tunnel on Friday. He blamed the […]

Elfyn Evans clinched victory at the 2026 Rally Japan, extending his lead over Toyota teammate Takamoto Katsuta to 20 championship points with seven rounds still to run. Strategic Value of the Win While Evans praised the speed and control that carried him across the finish line, he cautioned that the long‑term effect on his title […]

Elfyn Evans triumphed at Rally Japan 2024, clinching his second World Rally Championship victory of the season by outpacing defending champion Sébastien Ogier by 12.8 seconds. Evans’ flawless performance on demanding asphalt From the opening test, Oliver Solberg claimed the lead, yet Evans leveraged his road‑order advantage to surge past on the Isegami Tunnel stage, generating […]

Oliver Solberg’s Rally Japan campaign ended abruptly when a mis‑judged left‑hand turn in Stage 10 forced his Toyota GR Yaris into a tree, crushing the right‑rear suspension and ending his fight for the win. The slip that ended the podium fight While closing on leader Elfyn Evans, Solberg entered a slick corner, braked slightly late and slid off the rally‑line, striking […]

Elfyn Evans secured a 17.8‑second advantage over teammate Sébastien Ogier heading into the final day of Rally Japan after Oliver Solberg’s Toyota GR Yaris suffered terminal rear‑suspension damage. Evans stretches lead while Solberg’s rally ends abruptly Entering the longest leg, Evans held a 15.6‑second cushion over the Finn, but Solberg narrowed the gap to 10.6 […]

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 […]

Oliver Solberg cut the margin on Elfyn Evans to just over ten seconds during the opening leg of Rally Japan, intensifying the duel for the final asphalt trophy of the World Rally Championship. Solberg’s Pace Shifts the Balance After a 15.7‑second deficit at the start of the day, the Norwegian youngster clawed back to 10.6 seconds behind by delivering […]

Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Takamoto Katsuta slid to sixth place after a chaotic opening day at Rally Japan, branding it the worst outing of his 2024 World Rally Championship campaign. Opening Mishaps Cost Time Katsuta’s troubles began on the damp first stage when he clipped a bank, causing a left‑rear puncture that cost 6.7 seconds. The unexpected […]