It's a totally crazy scenario that's looming for Japan. After Friday, Ott Tänak dominated the debates while Thierry Neuville, leader of the WRC championship who seemed on the royal road to being crowned, had a nightmare day. Victim of a turbo problem on the fourth special (SS4), the Belgian, although in an ideal position with 25 points ahead of Tänak, lost almost eight minutes in total, dropping to 15th place. Despite these setbacks, Neuville wanted to remain confident: “We will continue to fight, and try to limit the damage. » Neuville is aiming to break into the top 10 on Saturday to hope to score crucial points on Sunday, where a further 12 points will be at stake.
Tänak makes the perfect shot
Meanwhile, Ott Tänak, spared by technical problems, leads the rally with a lead of 20.9 seconds over Elfyn Evans (Toyota). Tänak stood out with solid performances, notably winning SS5 and SS6. “The stages went well today,” he commented. Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux (Ford M-Sport) made a promising start, occupying third place at 1'53''9, but remained far from the leading duo. Sébastien Ogier (Toyota), slowed down by a puncture, finished fifth, more than two minutes behind the leader, hoping to contribute to the Manufacturers' title for Toyota despite a significant delay. Saturday, with 103.87 km timed, will be decisive. While Hyundai suffered further setbacks, including the retirement of Andreas Mikkelsen, the race remained open, promising an intense finale in the quest for the world title.
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To summarize
WRC championship leader Thierry Neuville had a terrible day at Rally Japan. To the point of losing everything? Indeed, his great rival Ott Tänak is doing what is necessary to take the necessary points.
