Neuville and Toyota crowned world champions, Rally Japan for Evans

• He will have waited 15 years, or 5 days, since his very first rally en WRC to be crowned world rally champion: Thierry Neuville has finally won a title that had eluded him for so long in the premier category of world rallying! At 36 years old, the driver Hyundai becomes the 20th WRC world champion in history, the first Belgian to achieve such a feat. A title acquired even before the end of the Rally of Japan thanks to Ott Tänak's exit from the track and retirement from the first special stage on Sunday. Martijn Wydaeghe also becomes the first Belgian co-driver world champion.

WORLD CHAMPIONS!! Congratulations Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe! 🏆👏#WRC pic.twitter.com/kuEr4bRIcN

— FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) November 23, 2024

• Despite a frustrating start to the rally due to an engine problem that cost him seven minutes, Thierry Neuville did what was necessary on Saturday to get back into the points and start this Super Sunday more comfortably, before finally being crowned champion after the error of his teammate and championship rival. "I'm speechless, it came as a bit of a surprise, said the new world champion on his return to the service park. We were preparing the car before the stage (SS18) and we got a call from Florian, my assistant. He usually never calls, so I thought something was wrong. I heard a lot of people shouting behind me, so I knew it was good news! It took me a while to take it in! The feeling will be better day by day, when we really realize what we have achieved. I can only thank all the people who have been behind me all this time, my supporters – Team #TN11 – who have supported me for years, my family, my team who gave their best, all the people who have followed me all these years. I am very happy.
• If the Drivers' title was already decided at the start of this Super Sunday, we had to wait until the end of the Power Stage to find out who, Hyundai and Toyota was going to be crowned in the Constructors' Championship… and it was finally Toyota who won the world title after an incredible thriller. The two teams were perfectly equal before the start of the Power Stage – Hyundai being handicapped by the retirement ofOtt Tänak, who was the rally leader on Saturday night – but thanks to Elfyn Evans' victory and the fastest time Sébastien Ogier In the Power Stage, the Japanese firm took the upper hand over their Korean rivals on the final day of racing! Toyota wins its 8th WRC title, the fourth in a row since 2021.
• Even if the ranking of this Rally Japan seems almost anecdotal behind the two titles, it is indeed Elfyn Evans who won the Japanese event, his first and therefore only victory of the 2024 season. The Welshman, already winner here in 2023, took advantage of Ott Tänak's accident in SS17 to retain his trophy. The podium is completed by the two Frenchmen: after three retirements in as many events, Sébastien Ogier improves his end of campaign with 2nd place in Japan, whileAdrien fourmaux concludes his fine championship with a fifth podium in WRC, ahead of local hero Takamoto Katsuta.
• The title wasn't just in the WRC! Sami Pajari also became WRC2 champion this Sunday, after a controlled Rally Japan. The Finn, who needed a 2nd place or a victory to steal the title from Oliver Solberg, accomplished his mission and finished 2nd in the Japanese event behind an untouchable Nikolay Gryazin. The podium in the category was completed by one of the locals of the stage, Hiroki Arai.

WRC – Rally Japan
General classification

Power Stage ranking

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