The race ended with Hyundai driver Ott Tänak claiming victory, which was sealed when Sebastien Ogier crashed out on the final day and was forced to retire.
Ogier’s crash proved costly for Toyota. The team lost valuable points in the manufacturers’ championship battle, and the mistake also ensured that Hyundai will celebrate the drivers’ championship at the end of the season.
Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville continues to lead the WRC standings after finishing third in the Central European Rally. Tänak is 25 points behind his teammate heading into the season finale.
RallyJournal.com journalists Toni Heinonen, Aki Hietavala, and Ville Hirvonen rated each top-class driver’s performance, using school grades where 10 is the highest and 4 is the lowest.
Toni Heinonen
Ott Tänak 8½ (Position: 1st)
Tänak wasn’t super-fast throughout the weekend. But in rallying, the key is to reach the finish line, and Tänak did that quicker than anyone else. The Estonian perhaps could have pushed harder in the Power Stage, where he had the chance to secure more points. However, it’s likely team orders came after Ogier’s crash, advising him to focus on finishing.
Elfyn Evans 8 (Position: 2nd)
A well-known rally figure aptly remarked at a post-rally cafe that Evans claimed his second “win” of the season. In other words, the Welshman scored the biggest points haul of the weekend (for the second time this year), even though he didn’t win the race. Evans’ pace was consistently good, and his reward was a second consecutive runner-up finish.
Thierry Neuville 7½ (Position: 3rd)
Without a couple of detours into the fields, the Belgian could have secured the title. On the other hand, Neuville was lucky that his Hyundai didn’t get stuck on the edge of the ditch. Third place and a decent points haul were just enough for him. Now he just needs to bring the car home in Japan.
Takamoto Katsuta 8 (Position: 4th)
In my opinion, Katsuta was the standout driver of the weekend, even though he missed out on a podium finish. He avoided big risks in the first days but had a slip-up into a field. On Sunday, with the green light to push, Katsuta delivered: he topped the day’s standings (7 points) and was the fastest in the Power Stage (5 points). Having watched the previous rally from the sidelines, Katsuta did exactly what a third driver is supposed to do!
Gregoire Munster 7- (Position: 5th)
He avoided mistakes and kept his pace steady throughout the weekend. Munster achieved a decent result for the second consecutive event. That deserves a thumbs up, but he still needs to step up his speed if he wants to fight for the top positions.
Andreas Mikkelsen 5 (Position: 31st)
The Norwegian made a serious driving error on the first proper day of competition. That’s something you can’t afford to do when the team is counting on points for the manufacturers’ title fight. Hyundai still has the advantage, but it must be said: Mikkelsen and Esapekka Lappi have both underperformed this season. Mikkelsen saved his weekend slightly by scoring four points in the Power Stage.
Adrien Fourmaux 5 (Position: 32nd)
A disappointing weekend for the Frenchman. He was aiming for his first podium on asphalt, but his pace was missing from the start, and by Saturday, his Ford struggled to stay on the road. Saturday ended early for him, but he managed to collect a few points on Sunday.
Sami Pajari 5½ (Retirement)
This time, Pajari doesn’t get the usual praise for his previous Rally1 performances. In the first few days, the Finn delivered as expected, occasionally showing his speed while avoiding mistakes on the challenging asphalt roads. However, on the final day, he flipped his Toyota. He probably could have continued, but it was deemed better to retire. While there was much to appreciate, the final mistake impacts his rating significantly.
Sebastien Ogier 4 (Retirement)
Ogier once again showed he’s a favourite in every rally he enters. His pace was strong enough, but then he crashed on the penultimate stage. It was a huge blow to Toyota’s manufacturers’ title hopes. For such an outcome – a zero-point rally – there’s no choice but to give a failing grade. This was Ogier’s third consecutive mistake, and he had a reason to apologise.
Aki Hietavala
Ott Tänak 8½
He rose to victory at the last minute when Sebastien Ogier threw away his own race. Oddly enough, Tänak didn’t score any points in the Power Stage and was fourth in Sunday’s times. A lot of points were lost there. During the rally, there were rumours that Tänak was receiving instructions from the team via messages. Was he forced to play it safe for manufacturers’ points? Mathematically, he remains Thierry Neuville’s only challenger for the title.
Elfyn Evans 8½
The same score as the rally winner? The reporter must be confused! Evans scored the most points over the weekend. No further justification needed. He salvaged what he could after his teammate’s blunder on Sunday.
Thierry Neuville 8
An eight despite his off-road adventures on Saturday, which potentially cost him the win. Fourth place and a few points from Sunday mean that in the season finale in Japan, Neuville can afford to play it safe. The gap to Tänak remains a solid 25 points.
Takamoto Katsuta 9
The reporter must be confused again! How can the fourth-place finisher get the highest score? Let’s consider the context. Katsuta, who was benched in the previous rally, entered Central Europe with significant pressure. He delivered a solid, consistent performance and capped off his weekend by being the fastest driver on “Super Sunday” and winning the Power Stage. He scored crucial points for Toyota after Ogier’s mishap.
Gregoire Munster 7
The Luxembourg driver had another decent performance. His speed wasn’t enough to challenge the top, but he kept the car on the road and finished fifth, as he did in Sardinia. It’s hard to see how his career can continue in the top class, though.
Andreas Mikkelsen 6
If you only consider his Friday mistake, a failed would be justified. It was a massive error to crash into a fence when his task was to secure manufacturers’ points. The four points in the Power Stage saved him from a failing grade, as they were crucial for Hyundai’s title hopes.
Adrien Fourmaux 5
The season’s rising star didn’t find his pace at any point in Central Europe. His speed was surprisingly poor on Friday. On Saturday, a technical issue made things much harder. His chaotic Saturday morning ended in retirement after a couple of off-road moments.
Sami Pajari 7
A commendable or at least good performance turned into something more mediocre on Sunday morning. I don’t think the crash will impact Pajari’s plans for next year, but it was still an unfortunate slip-up. The public will remember the mistake, not that he was driving on asphalt for the first time and managed to set some good stage times. And let’s emphasise, it’s the public that will remember this.
Sebastien Ogier 4
The streak of poor performances continues for the multi-champion. Three consecutive rallies with an error. This is likely the only time such a streak has occurred in his long career in the top class. These mistakes are likely to cost Toyota the manufacturers’ title. The drivers’ title is already out of reach for the Frenchman. After his Sunday morning mistake, why did Ogier continue to push? I understand the stakes in the manufacturers’ championship, but Katsuta and Evans were also there to grab Power Stage points.
Ville Hirvonen
Ott Tänak 9
A very strong weekend from the Estonian. He didn’t make any major mistakes in the difficult conditions and had a great “battle of champions” with Sebastien Ogier. When Ogier crashed, Tänak cruised to victory. At times, we saw top-level speed from Tänak. It was a bit strange that he didn’t push harder on Sunday and in the Power Stage. He clearly wanted to secure team points, but a more aggressive approach would have given him a better chance in the drivers’ title fight. Now the gap to Neuville before the final round in Japan is 25 points. Without a major failure from Neuville, the title is out of Tänak’s reach.
Elfyn Evans 9
Evans’ season has been mostly weak, but he delivered a good performance here. He showed good speed and brought Toyota the biggest points haul. He did exactly what the team needed from him. He was Toyota’s best driver in Central Europe, so you couldn’t ask for more.
Thierry Neuville 7
Two big mistakes on Saturday meant he couldn’t secure the title. He will still clinch his first career title in Japan, as long as he doesn’t make a huge error, but Neuville probably didn’t want to delay the title decision to the always unpredictable Rally Japan. He has faithfully followed his strategy over the last few races, which has put him on course for his long-awaited first title. Japan will test his ability to handle pressure one more time. He just needs to bring the car home.
Takamoto Katsuta 10
A perfect 10 for the “benchwarmer.” He made an incredibly strong comeback. Katsuta drove with great confidence and consistency throughout the long event, and he capped off his weekend by being the fastest driver on “Super Sunday.” The likable Japanese driver deserved this success. If he can maintain this level of consistency, he will be a valuable asset to his team.
Gregoire Munster 7
Made no major mistakes and ended up as the best Ford driver. That deserves praise, but it didn’t require much more than staying on the road. His speed was still not impressive.
Andreas Mikkelsen 5
Made a big driving error and ended up crashing into a fence, wrecking the car. The conditions were tough, and Mikkelsen can’t be overly criticized since even world champions made mistakes. However, once again, he didn’t deliver what Hyundai was expecting from him.
Adrien Fourmaux 5
Fourmaux has received a lot of praise this season, and rightfully so, but in Central Europe, we saw glimpses of the “old” Fourmaux. He made mistakes and had to retire. Despite this, his season overall remains positive, no matter what happens in Japan, but this was a poor rally for the Frenchman.
Sami Pajari 6
The Finn had another good performance in his Toyota, but then made an unfortunate mistake. He crashed into a ditch, and the car was wrecked. He gained valuable experience on asphalt, and those lessons will pay off in the future. Pajari has shown his talent, and everything points to Toyota giving him a big opportunity next season. However, mistakes are penalised, and that makes it hard to give him a higher score this time.
Sebastien Ogier 4
Performance failed. Ogier made a major mistake for the third consecutive rally, taking away a big points haul from his team. Ogier’s mistake – or rather, mistakes – could cost Toyota the manufacturers’ title this season. It has already cost him the drivers’ title. In Ogier’s defence, jumping into a partial season and fighting for a title isn’t easy, but it’s still surprising how many mistakes the multi-champion has made this year. While I don’t want to doubt the eight-time world champion’s ability to handle pressure, did the veteran driver perhaps try too hard when the unprecedented ninth title was within reach?