Elfyn Evans wins the Rally Japan ahead of Sébastien Ogier, with Solberg lurking in the shadows

Despite the convincing return of Sébastien Ogier At the end of the race, it was indeed Elfyn Evans who ultimately won the Rally from Japan WRCFor the fifth time in his career, the Welshman won the Japanese event, bringing his season total to two victories. Winning thanks to five stage wins since SS1 in Japan, the category runner-up extends his lead in the championship standings, despite a particularly strong performance from Oliver Solberg throughout the week.

Indeed, the most likely winner of Rally Japan was none other than the Swede, given his performance level this week. Winning eight special stages, the Power Stage, and Super Sunday, the driver Toyota He clearly dominated the competition in terms of performance. A blistering pace, a string of victories… But then, an accident during SS10 dashed his hopes of victory. Frustrated at the end of this latest rally, he expressed his gratitude to his team for providing him with a perfect car, but strongly regretted the incident that cost him the win.

Elfyn Evans faces a new challenge

Among the notable events of this Rally Japan, let's highlight the four stage wins of Finland's Sami Pajari. Finishing third overall, he climbed onto the podium behind Evans and Ogier, notably ahead of local favorite Takamoto Katsuta, who won only one stage this week. In Rally2, Bulgarian Nikolay Gryazin dominated the proceedings ahead of Alejandro Cachon. Neck and neck, the two men ultimately saw the outcome decided by a spin from the Spaniard in the final kilometers of the last stage.

With Elfyn Evans leading the championship thanks to two victories since the Monte Carlo Rally, a new question now arises. As the opening driver for the upcoming rallies, most of which are on gravel, will the Welshman maintain his advantage, something he failed to do last year? The fact is, Sébastien Ogier will have to work extremely hard to catch his rival, while also keeping pace with Oliver Solberg, who, while impressive, is inconsistent at times.

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WRC – Rally Japan
The Power Stage ranking

The final standings of the Rally Japan