Tänak escapes to lead Rally Japan, Neuville closes in on title

While Ott Tänak is doing what is necessary at the head of the Rally Japan, Thierry Neuville has moved up to 7th place overall and is closing in on the title. With four new points scored, the Belgian is not far from a first WRC title.

Published on 23/11/2024 à 11:50

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Tänak escapes to lead Rally Japan, Neuville closes in on title

Thierry Neuville is now just one day, four special stages and two points away from a first title in WRC ! The day after a difficult day, weighed down by an engine problem that handicapped him throughout the day, the Belgian made up for it this Saturday and managed to climb back up to 7th place in the general classification! A position that allows him, thanks to the 2024 points scale, to score four points in the Saturday evening ranking (on condition of finishing the rally). Provisionally, Thierry Neuville has 229 points, against 218 for Ott Tänak.

From 15th to 7th in six courses 😮 pic.twitter.com/GSK1Hapos8

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

These four additional points allow him to start Super Sunday in a slightly more comfortable manner: if Ott Tänak makes a clean sweep and takes the 30 points awarded this weekend, Thierry Neuville will only need to score two points on Sunday to secure his first WRC title. The Estonian still needs to have the perfect Sunday…
… and so far, Ott Tänak has been faultless in this Rally Japan. After a quiet morning, the Estonian picked up the pace in the afternoon and extended the gap at the head of the Japanese event. Before Super Sunday, the driver Hyundai has a 38″0 lead over his closest rival, Elfyn Evans, who dropped big seconds in the second loop despite a good morning. The Welshman dropped out in the last two stages of the day, securing the points for his 2nd place overall in the Constructors' Championship.
In the fight for the podium, it is Sébastien Ogier who took the upper hand and is in 3rd place this Saturday evening. The Frenchman, upset by a puncture on Friday which made him lose two minutes, came back well and overtook Adrien fourmaux and Takamoto Katsuta in the overall standings. The eight-time world champion, on a mission to Toyota for the Constructors' Championship, has a 8″2 lead over his compatriot, fourth with his Ford Puma. As things stand, Hyundai provisionally has 550 points, against 539 for Toyota. Andreas Mikkelsen retired again before the second loop, a voluntary withdrawal on the part of Hyundai to best prepare for Super Sunday.
In WRC2, Nikolay Gryazin is making sure of the lead in the category: the Russian, who races under a Bulgarian license, manages his comfortable lead of 1'25″3 ahead of Sami Pajari. The Finn is in an ideal position to win the WRC2 title, he has a 51-second lead over the third-placed Hiroki Arai. As a reminder, the Toyota driver must finish among the top two to be champion.