Ott Tanak prolonged his Rally Japan lead on Saturday, however all eyes have been on his Hyundai teammate, Thierry Neuville (above), as he vaulted up the leaderboard to place himself inside touching distance of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship crown.
Neuville, sometimes called the WRC’s “nearly-man” after 5 runner-up finishes within the last factors, is ultimately inside attain of shaking off that label and claiming his first-ever drivers’ title — an achievement that may even be the primary for a Belgian driver in WRC historical past. After a outstanding restoration from fifteenth to seventh total in simply seven levels on Saturday’s penultimate day, Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe provisionally banked 4 essential factors.
Following a power-sapping turbocharger difficulty on his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 that closely disrupted his Friday, Neuville’s comeback has left him needing simply two extra factors from Tremendous Sunday to seal the deal. He’s assured of his Saturday factors haul if he efficiently completes the 5 levels of the ultimate leg, and with as much as 12 further factors accessible on Sunday, the 36-year-old is inside hanging distance of breaking his runner-up streak and confirming his place as rallying’s latest world champion.
“We have to be glad with our efficiency as we speak and having the ability to get again to P7, which didn’t appear very real looking this morning,” Neuville mentioned. “Clearly tomorrow may very well be a giant day, so we’ll cross our fingers and attempt to have sleep.
“I’ve had sufficient setbacks throughout my profession,” he added, “so I’ve discovered to remain calm and simply cope with it. The very best factor you are able to do in that state of affairs is struggle again, and I feel we’ve accomplished that within the correct method as we speak.”
Whereas Tanak’s aspirations for a second drivers’ title so as to add to the one he gained with Toyota in 2019 now look slim, he’s carrying Hyundai’s hopes for securing the producers’ championship. The Estonian started Saturday with a 20.9s lead over Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Elfyn Evans, however that margin had decreased to fifteen.3s after the morning’s loop of three levels. Nevertheless, a powerful afternoon efficiency on Aichi’s slippery, leaf-strewn asphalt roads allowed the i20 N Rally1 driver to re-extend his result in 38.0s with simply Sunday’s 5 levels remaining.
Ott Tanak elevated his Rally Japan lead and bolstered Hyundai’s WRC producers’ title hope. Jaanus Ree/Purple Bull Content material Pool
As issues stand, Hyundai heads Toyota by 11 factors within the WRC producers’ standings, with the whole lot nonetheless to play for on the ultimate day of the 2024 season finale.
“It’s been robust, however particularly within the second loop we’ve been stronger than Elfyn,” mentioned Tanak. “We’ve been on it to this point and we are going to proceed to be on it. [The manufacturers’ championship] is our huge goal and we need to obtain it.”
Like Neuville, eight-time WRC champ Sebastien Ogier was additionally making strikes. A two-minute wheel change on Friday had put the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 driver on the again foot, however he bounced again with a pair of stage wins and three second-fastest instances on Saturday, climbing from fifth to 3rd total.
Ogier handed Toyota teammate Takamoto Katsuta, who spun on the morning’s last stage, in addition to M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux, and now trails Evans’ GR Yaris by 1m32.9s in a single day.
After shedding time with a Friday puncture, Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier charged to 3rd total on Saturday’s levels. Toyota Gazoo Racing photograph
After passing Katsuta on the leaderboard following the Japanese driver’s mistake, Fourmaux remained underneath fixed stress from the native hero and introduced his M-Puma Rally1 to the in a single day halt simply 6.1s forward of him in fourth place.
Additionally exhibiting respectable tempo was Fourmaux’s M-Sport Ford teammate, Gregoire Munster, who described the day as his “greatest ever” on asphalt after grabbing a third-fastest time on the morning’s opening stage. Neuville, in the meantime, was greater than 4 minutes behind Munster and 7m43.7s from Tanak within the lead — not that the general time hole is Neuville’s prime concern at this level as he now concentrates on ending and grabbing two valuable Sunday factors.
In WRC2, the second tier of worldwide rallying, Nikolay Gryazin stands on the point of his third class win of the season, but it surely’s second-placed Sami Pajari who stands poised to gather the larger prize.
Toksport Citroen C3 driver Gryazin remained in command of WRC2 on the season’s last spherical, extending his result in a commanding 1m25.3s on Saturday’s levels, however Pajari was greater than content material to finish the day in a managed second place, understanding that such a consequence shall be sufficient to safe the WRC2 title.
The 22-year-old Finn, co-driven by Enni Malkonen of their Printsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, was nonetheless fast sufficient to publish three class quickest instances as he reached the in a single day halt 51.4s away from Hiroki Arai’s R5-spec Skoda Fabia.
“The day was fairly good, actually constant driving I might say,” Pajari mentioned. “The automobile is working actually tremendous, and I’ve been attempting to take it good and straightforward.”
Whereas Sami Pajari is doing what he must do to assert the WRC2 title, the Finn nonetheless posted three class quickest stage instances. Jaanus Ree/Purple Bull Content material Pool
Sunday’s last leg options 5 all-asphalt levels, including as much as a not inconsequential 43.85 aggressive miles. The rally-ending, bonus points-paying Wolf Energy Stage is a second blast by means of the 8.69-mile Lake Mikawako take a look at.
WRC Rally Japan, positions after Leg Two, SS16
1 Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) 39m48.0s
2 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +38.0s
3 Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +2m10.9s
4 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria Ford Puma Rally1) +2m19.1s
5 Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +2m52.2s
6 Gregoire Munster/Louis Louka (Ford Puma Rally1) +3m07.1s
7 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +7m43.7s
8 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Citroen C3 – WRC2 chief) +7m55.9s
9 Sami Pajari/Enni Malkonen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – WRC2) +9m21.2s
10 Hiroki Arai/Shunsuke Matsuo (Skoda Fabia RS – WRC2) +10m12.6s
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