The drivers’ championship is a two-way contest between Hyundai stars. Thierry Neuville is firmly in pursuit of his first title, with a 25-point lead over his teammate Ott Tänak.
In the manufacturers’ championship, the situation is tighter, with Hyundai holding a 15-point lead over Toyota. However, the Japanese brand Toyota faces a tough task on home ground if it hopes to catch Hyundai.
On Monday, the organisers of Rally Japan released the list of registered competitors. This also confirmed that Hyundai and Toyota weren’t misleading in their advance announcements about their line-ups.
Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul had mentioned during the previous round that Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen would drive the team’s third car in Japan. Mikkelsen’s name is indeed on the entry list, alongside Neuville and Tänak.
For Toyota, Elfyn Evans, Sebastien Ogier, and Takamoto Katsuta will compete for points. Kalle Rovanperä will sit out this rally, as Toyota’s team principal Jari-Matti Latvala confirmed after the recent Central European Rally.
M-Sport Ford will feature its usual pairing for the tarmac event in Japan, with Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux and Luxembourg’s Grégoire Munster.
The WRC2 championship will also be decided in the Land of the Rising Sun. Oliver Solberg, who has already completed all his points-scoring rounds, currently leads the class, but Sami Pajari still has a chance to overtake the Swede.
Pajari needs to finish at least second in Japan to become the WRC2 champion. His rivals in Japan will include Nikolay Gryazin, Kajetan Kajetanowicz, Jan Solans, Josh McErlean, and Gus Greensmith.
Former F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen will also take part in the WRC2 competition, marking his third participation in Rally Japan. Like Pajari, Kovalainen will compete in a Toyota Rally2 car.
Alongside Rally Japan, a national competition will take place, with an unexpected entry: French rally legend Didier Auriol, 66, will compete in a Toyota GR Yaris. Auriol claimed his only world championship with Toyota in the 1994 season.
Rally Japan will be held from 21st to 24th November. Last year, Toyota celebrated a triple victory at its home event.
