wrc rally japan 2026: conor edwards
WRC Rally Japan
Elfyn Evans arrived in Japan holding a 13-point advantage over Toyota team-mates Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä, both level on 234 points. With 20 asphalt stages and over 300 competitive kilometres ahead, the Welshman knew that even the slightest lapse could prove costly on Japan’s twisting, technical mountain roads.
Kalle Rovanperä wasted no time, kicking off his Rally Japan attack with a statement of intent on the Thursday Super Special. The young Finn topped the curtain raising Kuragaike Park stage by a tenth of a second over Hyundai’s Ott Tänak, while home hero Takamoto Katsuta thrilled the local fans with third place, only 0.3 of a second further back. Sébastien Ogier slotted into fourth, just 0.4 of a second from the early benchmark, with Sami Pajari continuing his impressive form in fifth. Evans opened cautiously, eighth-tenths off Rovanperä and sixth overall, mindful of the championship picture but aware that the rally had barely begun.
Friday
Friday saw six technical asphalt tests in Aichi and Gifu, where changing grip, damp patches and narrow forest climbs formed a tough test for crews. Ogier set the pace, winning the 17km SS2 to establish Toyota’s early authority on its home soil. Evans’ day started shakily when he was forced to slow for a deer, but he quickly responded with fastest time through the Isegami’s Tunnel stage. The biggest drama, however, belonged to Rovanperä. A brush with an Armco barrier on SS3 damaged the left-rear suspension of his GR Yaris Rally1, costing him more than three minutes. He limped through the next stage with a spanner fastened to the damaged suspension as a makeshift brace. Meanwhile, Josh McErlean became the day’s first major retirement, crashing his M-Sport Ford Puma heavily on SS3. Both he and co-driver Eoin Treacy were unhurt.
Katsuta briefly took the rally lead by winning SS3, much to the delight of the home crowd, before settling behind his Toyota team-mates. Evans went fastest on SS4 in the Yaris and moved into second place. Toyota young-gun Sami Pajari again impressed with his consistency, while Adrien Fourmaux ended the morning loop as Hyundai’s strongest performer in fifth after productive set-up changes. Over the afternoon loop, Ogier took back to back stage wins and finished the opening day having set the fastest time on three of the six stages and with a 7.9 second cushion over Katsuta, with Evans completing a Toyota 1-2-3 just 2.3 seconds further back after winning the day’s final stage in fading light. Fourmaux held fourth in the i20, narrowly ahead of Pajari.
Saturday
Saturday’s timetable gave the crews no respite with over 120 competitive kilometres and only a flexi-service at the end of the day. Evans began the morning ten seconds adrift of Ogier but immediately signalled his intent, outpacing both his rivals on the new Obara stage and shadowing Fourmaux on Ena 1. He then delivered a masterful push on the 21.74 km Mt Kasagi test, closing Ogier’s lead to just 2.0 seconds. Katsuta remained firmly in contention until SS11, where he struck a water-filled barrier and broke the power steering on his GR Yaris. The heartbreak ended his podium challenge and any hopes of a win on home soil.
Fourmaux produced one of his strongest Hyundai drives yet, taking two morning stage wins and climbing into the podium places following Katsuta’s retirement. Behind him, Pajari held fourth with measured maturity, while Tänak and Munster completed the top six. Ogier and Evans traded seconds throughout the afternoon, each refusing to blink. While Evans celebrated his 200th career WRC stage win, Ogier responded decisively on the final tests to rebuild his advantage to 6.5 seconds heading into Sunday’s finale.
Sunday
The final leg delivered torrential rain from start to finish, transforming the roads into treacherous rivers of standing water. Neuville was making his way to the day’s opening stage when he was forced to return to service with an electrical issue that was preventing the wipers from working. Evans immediately closed the gap to Ogier with a clean run through Nukata, but Ogier countered with authority at Lake Mikawako, reasserting control. The day’s biggest incident struck Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux.
The Frenchman was distracted with a misted windscreen and slid off the road crashing through trees, and tore the passenger door from his i20 N Rally1. With the door went his timecard, ending his rally on the spot. Both crew members escaping unhurt but frustrated at their exit from the event.
There was more pain for the Hyundai team when Ott Tänak suffered a front-right puncture on Stage 16, though the Estonian salvaged a stage win later in the day and despite his earlier difficulties, he would ultimately finish fourth. As chaos unfolded around them, Sami Pajari delivered the drive of his young career. A composed and intelligent approach rewarded him with a maiden Rally1 podium with a third overall and helped Toyota secure a 1-2-3 finish at home. Evans’ own charge suffered a wild moment on the Okazaki Power Stage, where he slid down a grassy bank before rejoining. Ogier remained inch-perfect, extending his margin to 11.6 seconds by the finish to claim a brilliant victory and slash Evans’ championship lead to just three points.
Whilst Toyota celebrated on their home event, Hyundai Motorsport left Japan deeply frustrated following Fourmaux’s crash, Neuville’s double retirement due to technical failures, and Tänak's puncture, which all underscored a weekend of missed opportunities. Just hours after the finish in Japan, 2019 world champion Ott Tänak confirmed he will take a break from full-time rallying after the Saudi finale. After over 170 WRC starts, 22 wins and 58 podiums, the Estonian stated his desire to “reset, recharge and refocus”, though he left the door open for a future return.
The Driver’s title fight is now balanced on a knife-edge heading into the season finale. Evans holds a slim three-point lead over Ogier, with Rovanperä still mathematically in the hunt, 24 points back. With 35 points available at the inaugural Rally Saudi Arabia, no driver can breathe easy. Saudi Arabia’s fast gravel, abrasive surfaces and all-new stages promise a finale unlike anything the championship has seen before.
