The season finale began with the shakedown, which proved to be extremely slippery, especially during the first run. Championship leader Thierry Neuville was the first car on the stage and led after the initial runs, edging his teammate Tänak by just 0.2 seconds.
Tänak, however, pulled off the fastest time overall on his second attempt. The Estonian finished 0.4 seconds quicker than M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux, who completed one more run than the Hyundai and Toyota drivers.
Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier took third place in the shakedown, followed by his teammate Takamoto Katsuta and Ford driver Gregoire Munster. Hyundai’s Neuville did not improve on his second run and eventually finished sixth.
Toyota’s Elfyn Evans and Hyundai’s Andreas Mikkelsen rounded out the timesheets for the top-tier drivers.
Heikki Kovalainen delivered a pleasant surprise in the WRC2 category. Competing in a Toyota Rally2 car, Kovalainen was fifth after his first run but set the fastest WRC2 time on his second attempt, finishing 0.4 seconds ahead of Nikolay Gryazin.
Earlier this year, Kovalainen underwent open-heart surgery but has recovered well. He returned to rallying in July during a round of the Japanese rally series, and in October, he secured his first victory of the season. This marks Kovalainen’s third appearance in Rally Japan.
Sami Pajari, battling for the WRC2 championship, completed the shakedown stage just once, placing seventh in the category. Pajari will secure the championship if he finishes in the top two of his class in Japan.
Rally Japan officially kicks off later on Thursday afternoon with a short spectator stage at Toyota Stadium. Hyundai’s Neuville is in a strong position to claim his first world title, while Hyundai and Toyota continue to fight for the manufacturers’ championship.
Rally Japan shakedown results:
| POS | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | 2:18.1 |
| 2. | Adrien Fourmaux | Ford | 2:18.5 |
| 3. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | 2:18.9 |
| 4. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | 2:19.4 |
| 5. | Gregoire Munster | Ford | 2:19.8 |
| 6. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | 2:20.1 |
| 7. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | 2:20.2 |
| 8. | Andreas Mikkelsen | Hyundai | 2:22.4 |
| 9. | Heikki Kovalainen | Toyota | 2:23.6 |
| 10. | Nikolay Gryazin | Citroen | 2:24.0 |
| 11. | Gus Greensmith | Skoda | 2:24.4 |
| 12. | Kajetan Kajetanowicz | Skoda | 2:24.7 |
| 13. | Jan Solans | Toyota | 2:25.2 |
| 14. | Chris Ingram | Toyota | 2:25.9 |
| 15. | Sami Pajari | Toyota | 2:26.1 |
Rally Japan itinerary (CET):
Thursday, 21 November
01:01 Shakedown: Kuragaike Park (2.75 km)
11:05 SS1: Toyota Stadium SSS 1 (2.15 km)
Friday, 22 November
23:44 SS2: Isegami's Tunnel 1 (23.67 km)
00:44 SS3: Inabu / Shitara 1 (19.38 km)
02:12 SS4: Shinshiro 1 (17.41 km)
04:27 Tyre fitting zone (15 min)
05:32 SS5: Isegami's Tunnel 2 (23.67 km)
06:32 SS6: Inabu / Shitara 2 (19.38 km)
08:00 SS7: Shinshiro 2 (17.41 km)
10:35 SS8: Okazaki SSS 1 (2.54 km)
10:44 SS9: Okazaki SSS 2 (2.54 km)
Saturday, 23 November
00:05 SS10: Mt. Kasagi 1 (16.47 km)
01:03 SS11: Nenoue Kougen 1 (11.60 km)
02:16 SS12: Ena 1 (22.79 km)
04:04 Tyre fitting zone (15 min)
05:05 SS13: Mt. Kasagi 2 (16.47 km)
06:08 SS14: Nenoue Kougen 2 (11.60 km)
07:16 SS15: Ena 2 (22.79 km)
10:07 Service (45 min)
11:05 SS16: Toyota Stadium SSS 2 (2.15 km)
Sunday, 24 November
23:39 SS17: Nukata 1 (20.23 km)
00:35 SS18: Lake Mikawako 1 (13.98 km)
01:38 SS19: Nukata 2 (20.23 km)
03:49 Service (15 min)
04:17 SS20: Toyota Stadium SSS 3 (2.15 km)
06:15 SS21: Lake Mikawako 2 (13.98 km) *Power Stage
