After Saturday, it seemed unlikely that Toyota could overcome Hyundai’s lead in the manufacturers’ standings at Rally Japan. However, Hyundai driver Ott Tänak went off the road on Sunday morning’s opening stage, was forced to retire, and lost the 18 provisional championship points he had earned.
This opened the door for Toyota, which is now in contention for the manufacturers’ championship ahead of the event-ending Power Stage. Hyundai’s Andreas Mikkelsen, who retired briefly on Friday, leads the Super Sunday standings, while Thierry Neuville, who has already secured his individual world championship, sits in second place.
A Sunday double victory may not be enough for Hyundai, though. Before the Power Stage, the teams are virtually tied. The final stage of the season will determine the manufacturers’ champion. The five fastest drivers on the stage can still earn points.
“The feeling is good. It’s been a good day for us so far. We just need to try to enjoy it until the end,” Mikkelsen said.
Toyota’s Elfyn Evans leads the overall standings by a minute and a half ahead of Sébastien Ogier. M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux is third, followed by Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta.
“Now it’s about patience and focusing carefully on our own work. The Hyundai drivers have been very strong, but let’s see how the final stage goes,” Evans commented.
Sami Pajari is just one stage away from the WRC2 title. Pajari is second in his class and eighth overall. A second-place finish would be enough to secure the title.
The Rally Japan finale, the Power Stage, will take place on Sunday at 07:15 Finnish time.
Rally Japan Standings after SS20/21
| POS. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | 3:14.58.6 |
| 2. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | +1:31.2 |
| 3. | Adrien Fourmaux | Ford | +1:49.4 |
| 4. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | +2:01.7 |
| 5. | Gregoire Munster | Ford | +3:03.6 |
| 6. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +6:56.1 |
| 7. | Nikolai Grjazin | Citroen | +9:33.8 |
| 8. | Sami Pajari | Toyota | +11:08.1 |
| 9. | Hiroki Arai | Skoda | +12:34.1 |
| 10. | Gus Greensmith | Skoda | +13:35.8 |
Super Sunday Standings:
| POS. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | 34:22.5 |
| 2. | Andreas Mikkelsen | Hyundai | +0.5 |
| 3. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | +8.4 |
| 4. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +10.1 |
| 5. | Adrien Fourmaux | Ford | +18.4 |
| 6. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | +24.6 |
| 7. | Gregoire Munster | Ford | +44.6 |
Itinerary:
Thursday 21.11.
02.01 Test Stage: Kuragaike Park (2,75 km)
12.05 SS1: Toyota Stadium SSS 1 (2,15 km)
Friday 22.11.
00.44 SS2: Isegami's Tunnel 1 (23,67 km)
01.44 SS3: Inabu / Shitara 1 (19,38 km)
03.12 SS4: Shinshiro 1 (17,41 km)
05.27 Tyre Fitting Zone (15 min)
06.32 SS5: Isegami's Tunnel 2 (23,67 km)
07.32 SS6: Inabu / Shitara 2 (19,38 km)
09.00 SS7: Shinshiro 2 (17,41 km)
11.35 SS8: Okazaki SSS 1 (2,54 km)
11.44 SS9: Okazaki SSS 2 (2,54 km)
Saturday 23.11.
01.05 SS10: Mt. Kasagi 1 (16,47 km)
02.03 SS11: Nenoue Kougen 1 (11,60 km)
03.16 SS12: Ena 1 (22,79 km)
05.04 Tyre Fitting Zone (15 min)
06.05 SS13: Mt. Kasagi 2 (16,47 km)
07.08 SS14: Nenoue Kougen 2 (11,60 km)
08.16 SS15: Ena 2 (22,79 km)
11.07 Service (45 min)
12.05 SS16: Toyota Stadium SSS 2 (2,15 km)
Sunnuntai 24.11.
00.39 SS17: Nukata 1 (20,23 km)
01.35 SS18: Lake Mikawako 1 (13,98 km)
02.38 SS19: Nukata 2 (20,23 km)
04.49 Service (15 min)
05.17 SS20: Toyota Stadium SSS 3 (2,15 km)
07.15 SS21: Lake Mikawako 2 (13,98 km) *Power Stage
