Frenchman Fourmaux leads the Japan Rally after the first special

Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux (M-Sport/Ford) took the lead in the Japan Rally, the final round of the WRC season, after the first special on Thursday, while the two candidates for the world title, Estonian Ott Tänak (Hyundai ) and the Belgian Thierry Neuville (Hyundai), are behind. The first super-special, 2.15 km long and contested in the Toyota Stadium in Nagoya, did not allow significant gaps to be created; we would have to wait until Friday for the hierarchy to begin to take shape. Fourmaux was ahead of Tänak by 0.5 seconds, while Neuville was in fifth place, tied with the other Frenchman, Sébastien Ogier (Toyota), 2.2 seconds behind the leader.

Eight stages are on the program for the second day of the rally, Friday. After having failed five times in second place in the championship, Neuville (36 years old) is in a strong position to win his first world title since he is 25 points ahead of Tänak while a maximum of 30 can be distributed to the winner this year. weekend in the land of the rising sun.