Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365, published on Saturday November 23, 2024 at 11:40 a.m.
Leader of the Japan Rally on Saturday evening, Ott Tänak is eleven points behind Thierry Neuville, who made a nice comeback at the wheel of his Hyundai. The world title will be decided on Sunday, but the Belgian has clearly regained his colors!
Suspense is still high for the title of world rally champion, but Thierry Neuville, leader with 25 points ahead of Ott Tänak, is undoubtedly more confident this Saturday than the day before. Victim of turbo problems, the Belgian, in search of his first world title, had experienced a nightmarish Friday day at the Japan Rally, the last of the season, lying in fifteenth place in the standings, seven minutes behind his rival and leader of the rally. But things went better during stages 10 to 16, and even though he is still seven minutes behind the Estonian, he is now seventh in the standings, which changes a lot of things. The new WRC regulations award points from Saturday evening, Tänak therefore takes 18 and Neuville 4, which means that the Estonian is eleven points behind the Belgian. On Sunday, 7 points will be awarded to the best driver of the last day (then 6, 5, 4… until 7th) and 5 to the winner of the Power Stage (then 4, 3… until 5th). The title will therefore be decided on the last day of the last rally of the season!
The Neuville comeback
This Saturday saw four different drivers win special stages. First it was Elfyn Evans who won a very slippery SS10, while Thierry Neuville “only” lost four seconds on Ott Tänak, thus demonstrating that his turbo was indeed repaired (he was then 13th in the standings and therefore not in the points). The Belgian also confirmed that everything was going well by winning SS11, to find himself 12th overall. It was finally at the end of SS12, won by Elfyn Evans, that Neuville made his virtual return to the points (9th), while Adrien Fourmaux climbed onto the provisional podium after Takamoto Katsuta had to stop for ten seconds after hitting something. After the mid-day break, Ott Tänak won SS13, which allowed Sébastien Ogier to overtake his compatriot Fourmaux to take third place. Winner of SS14 despite some brake problems, Thierry Neuville took 8th place overall, and finally 7th at the end of SS15, which he finished only a tenth behind the winner Sébastien Ogier. The last special of the day, contested over 2.15km in the form of duels at the Toyota Stadium, was more anecdotal than anything else and changed nothing in the standings. Everything will be decided on Sunday during the last five specials!
RALLY – WRC / JAPAN
Ranking after SS16 (out of 21) – Saturday November 23, 2024
1- Ott Tänak – Martin Järveoja (EST-EST/Hyundai) en 2h39'48
2- Elfyn Evans – Scott Martin (GBR-GBR/Toyota) à 38″
3- Sébastien Ogier – Vincent Landais (FRA-FRA/Toyota) at 2'10
4- Adrien Fourmaux – Alexandre Coria (FRA-FRA/Ford M-Sport) at 2'19
5- Takamoto Katsuta – Aaron Johnston (JAP-IRL/Toyota) à 2'25
…
7- Thierry Neuville – Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL-BEL/Hyundai) at 7'43
…
Special stage winners
Fourmaux: 1 (ES1)
Neuville: 3 (SS2, SS11, SS14)
Ogier : 2 (ES3, ES15)
Evans : 5 (ES4, ES7, ES9, ES10, ES12)
Tank : 4 (ES5, ES6, ES13, ES16)
Katsuta: 1 (ES8)
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