Tänak has dominated the rally from start to finish, wrapping up the “long competition” phase with a commanding lead of 38 seconds over Toyota’s Elfyn Evans heading into Sunday.
Tänak’s exceptional pace in Japan has kept him in contention for an outside shot at the drivers’ title, while also bolstering Hyundai’s chances in the manufacturers’ championship. The journey has been gruelling—not so much mentally, but physically and logistically.
“I don’t know, not even the pressure, I guess. Just the long, long days,” Tänak admitted.
“Hanging in the traffic and driving all the stages. Obviously, they are all extremely demanding, super slow, and never-ending. It’s always a long way through. At the same time, the grip is very changeable, with so many surprises and moments – so much is happening all the time. So it’s been tough,” he added.
Still, Tänak’s primary objective has been met. He has kept Evans at bay and secured the maximum provisional championship points for himself and Hyundai.
“Especially in the second loop, we’ve been stronger than Elfyn. This morning, it was definitely winding up a bit, and the speed was great. But in the afternoon, we managed to take it back. It’s been a bit up and down, but still in our favour,” Tänak reflected.
Sunday’s final leg of Rally Japan promises to be nail-biting, with both championships still up for grabs. While Tänak is focused on securing the manufacturers’ title for Hyundai, the prospect of a personal title also looms enticingly.
“We’ve been on it so far, and we will continue to be on it. It’s definitely our big target, and we want to achieve it,” Tänak declared.
However, he cautioned against premature celebrations, underscoring that the rally is far from over.
“We’ve seen that Toyota is very quick. But I hope Thierry (Neuville) is giving his best as well, as am I. Hopefully, we can bring it home,” Tänak concluded.
The final chapters of Rally Japan and the WRC season will unfold on Sunday with five remaining stages. Both world titles will be decided early Sunday morning Central European time.
