Relive the third day of the Rally Japan with live text updates

While the pilots Toyota had until then outrageously dominated the debates, Adrien fourmaux reminded everyone that surprises could still happen. Capable of winning two stages before SS11, the Frenchman nevertheless saw Elfyn Evans' impressive run come to an end on the tenth stage of this Rally from Japan WRCStill leading overall, Sébastien Ogier He now only has a slim lead and is forced to shift back into high gear. Over the four special stages scheduled for Saturday morning (French time), who will come out on top? Who will be leading before the start of Super Sunday?

WRC – Rally Japan
Follow the third day with live commentary

10h20 - 👋 Thank you all for following us this morning! We'll be back tomorrow morning for the recap of the night before the live commentary of the Power Stage!

10h15 - 📊 As the 14th special stage of this Rally Japan, the last of the day, comes to an end, here is a final look at the standings before Super Sunday.

10:10 – SS14 – ⏱️ Nikolay Gryazin sets the provisional best time in WRC2 by four tenths ahead of Oliver Solberg.

10:06 p.m. – ES14 – ⏱️ Alejandro Cachon concludes in 2:22.1.

10:03 p.m. – ES14 – ⏱️ Oliver Solberg sets the first benchmark in WRC2: 2:20.8. Note that he suffered slight contact on the right rear during his attempt.

10:00 AM – SS14 – ⏱️ The eight-time world champion leaves no room for doubt and puts 1,6 seconds on Elfyn Evans over 3 km!

9:58 AM – SS14 – Sébastien Ogier is the last of the WRC drivers to start!

9:57 p.m. – ES14 – Unfortunately for the Japanese driver, he is 22 seconds behind Elfyn Evans at the end of this attempt.

9:55 p.m. – ES14 – Takamoto Katsuta takes to the track with a car that has been repaired since his incident!

9:54 AM – SS14 – ⏱️ The world championship leader completes the last special stage of the day in 2:16.2 before Sébastien Ogier's upcoming run!

9:52 p.m. – ES14 – Elfyn Evans sets off to try and beat the driver Hyundai !

9:51 AM – SS14 – ⏱️ The Frenchman's time is set at 2:16.4, allowing him to provisionally take first place!

9:49 AM – SS14 – Adrien Fourmaux is now off!

9:48 p.m. – ES14 – ⏱️ The Finn finishes in 21:16.9 and loses only a tenth of a second on Ott Tänak.

9:46 p.m. – ES14 – Now it's Sami Pajari's turn to try his luck.

9:45 – SS14 – ⏱️ Ott Tänak sets the new benchmark in 2:16.8, one second faster than Kalle Rovanperä.

9:42 p.m. – ES14 – ⏱️ The pilot M-Sport sets a time of 2:20.4. 2,6 seconds behind Kalle Rovanperä.

9:40 p.m. – ES14 – Grégoire Munster in turn begins this final stage of the day after a long wait for the Luxembourger.

9:37 – SS14 – ⏱️ 2:17.8 for the Finn who finishes this urban stage, in front of the Japanese public.

9:35 AM – SS14 – Course opener Kalle Rovanperä begins this night stage of the Rally Japan!

9h30 - 📊 Before the start of this 14th special stage, Sébastien Ogier has five stage wins to his name, compared to four for Elfyn Evans. Two stages have been dominated by Adrien Fourmaux, while Kalle Rovanperä and Takamoto Katstuta share the remaining two stage wins.

9h20 - 📊 Failing to shave off seconds, Sébastien Ogier could well aim to symbolically extend his lead over Elfyn Evans to over five seconds. On the very first stage of this Rally Japan, a 2,75 km stretch, Kalle Rovanperä took the victory ahead of Ott Tänak and Takamoto Katsuta. Four tenths of a second separated Ogier from Evans at that point.

9h10 - While special stages 11 and 12 were won respectively by Elfyn Evans and Sébastien Ogier, Adrien Fourmaux was the one who had started the day in the right direction during the Japanese morning!

Rally Japan: Fourmaux dominates the Toyotas, Evans catches up with Ogier, a recap of the night before SS11

9h00 - Just over half an hour to wait before the start of the final special stage this Saturday! If you weren't there this morning, here's a recap of the last stage.

Rally Japan – SS13 – Ogier flawless, French one-two ahead of Elfyn Evans

8h45 - 📹 The contact that led to Takamoto Katsuta's withdrawal for the rest of the day…

The moment it all went wrong for Taka 💔#WRC | #RallyJapan 🇯🇵
pic.twitter.com/G74o5O35Os

— FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) November 8, 2025

8h25 - 📊 This special stage will be particularly fast, and only 3,05 km long.

8h10 - The 14th special stage, the final stage of the day for the Rally Japan, will begin at 9:35 am (French time).

8:00 AM – SS13 – 📊Sébastien Ogier wins again, here is the new standings for this WRC Rally Japan!

7:59 p.m. – ES13 – ⏱️ Nikolay Gryazin is definitely struggling to keep up and is 2,9 seconds behind Cachon.

7:56 p.m. – ES13 – ⏱️ Oliver Solberg in 10:26.2, takes another 9,7 seconds lead over Alejandro Cachon.

7:54 p.m. – ES13 – 💬 Sébastien Ogier confirms that he could certainly have pushed harder during the day, punctuating his statement with an amused comment: "I must remain dangerous!"

7:53 AM – SS13 – ⏱️ Sébastien Ogier does better than Adrien Fourmaux! 10:00.9 for the Toyota driver who notably gains 3,2 seconds on Elfyn Evans.

7:49 p.m. – ES13 – Elfyn Evans lost a little time with a slight contact during this special stage.

7:47 AM – SS13 – Meanwhile, Sébastien Ogier is building a very slight lead over his compatriot!

7:46 AM – SS13 – Elfyn Evans is 1,2 seconds behind Adrien Fourmaux at the end of the special stage!

7:43 AM – SS13 – ⏱️ Another improvement for Adrien Fourmaux's Hyundai! The Frenchman finishes in 1:02.9 and gains another 4,2 seconds on Sami Pajari.

7:41 AM – SS13 – ⏱️ The Finn improves his compatriot's time by 2,6 seconds!

7:40 p.m. – ES13 – Sami Pajari is almost 2 seconds ahead of the reference time, and will reach the finish line in a moment.

7:37 p.m. – ES13 – ⏱️ Ott Tänak improves and finishes this special stage just four tenths of a second behind Rovanperä!

7:36 p.m. – ES13 – Having been on track for barely two minutes, Adrien Fourmaux has a few tenths of a second lead.

7:35 p.m. – ES13 – ⏱️ Grégoire Munster crosses the finish line in 10:22.1.

7:33 p.m. – ES13 – Ott Tänak is alternating between a few tenths of a second ahead and a few tenths behind the Finn at this stage of the special stage. Sami Pajari, on the other hand, already has a one-second lead over the benchmark after the first few kilometers.

7:31 AM – SS13 – ⏱️ First time of the special stage in 10:09.7 for Kalle Rovanperä!

7:26 p.m. – ES13 – After Grégoire Munster, Ott Tänak takes his turn.

7:21 – SS13 – Kalle Rovanperä kicks off the hostilities in this new stage!

7h12 - 📊 Separated by 1,7 seconds, Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans crossed the finish line 1,3 seconds apart during SS8 on this course… to the advantage of the Welshman.

7h02 - 📊 The 13th special stage, 16,44 km long, was the first one won by Adrien Fourmaux earlier this morning.

6h57 - 🕒The 13th special will start at 7:21 am (French time).

6:55 AM – SS12 – 📊 Without creating a huge gap, Sébastien Ogier extends his lead over Elfyn Evans to just a few tenths! The podium remains unchanged, but the differences between the leaders are minimal.

6:51 p.m. – ES12 – ⏱️ Nikolay Gryazin in turn loses 7 seconds to Cachon.

6:50 p.m. – ES12 – ⏱️ Alejandro Cachon, leader of the last special stage in WRC2, loses 9,8 seconds to Oliver Solberg.

6:48 p.m. – ES12 – 💬 Satisfied, Sébastien Ogier does not exult but retains the positive aspects of this special stage won. "I don't think we've ever covered this stage with such grip before."

6:47 p.m. – ES12 – ⏱️ Oliver Solberg arrives in turn and completes his effort in 15:31.3

6:44 AM – SS12 – ⏱️ And Sébastien Ogier has finally recovered three tenths of a second! 14:57.3 for the Frenchman, who has regained his lead over his rival!

6:40 p.m. – ES12 – 💬 Slightly ahead, Sébastien Ogier was once again mentioned as a serious contender on this particular stage by Elfyn Evans. "It's always difficult on this type of special stage. But everything's fine. Seb is always fast on these kinds of tracks."

6:39 p.m. – ES12 – 💬 Despite a strong performance, Adrien Fourmaux seemed lucid at the finish of this special stage. "An incredible, demanding stage. You have to manage the tires and brakes carefully; I may have pushed them a little too hard."

6:38 AM – SS12 – ⏱️ Great response from Elfyn Evans who takes the lead, 1,8 seconds ahead of Adrien Fourmaux! Sébastien Ogier is now expected…

6:35 AM – SS12 – ⏱️ Adrien Fourmaux takes a 4,8-second lead over Sami Pajari! 14:59.4 for the Frenchman!

6:33 AM – SS12 – Elfyn Evans is more than two seconds behind the Finn at the halfway point!

6:32 – SS12 – ⏱️ Sami Pajari provisionally takes the lead in this stage with a 4,8 second advantage over Kalle Rovanperä!

6:31 a.m. – SS12 – More than six seconds ahead for Adrien Fourmaux who is also starting the last third of this 12th special stage!

6:30 p.m. – ES12 – ⏱️ Ott Tänak crosses the finish line 3,7 seconds behind Kalle Rovanperä. The Estonian is provisionally 2nd.

6:29 p.m. – ES12 – Regularly keeping pace, Sami Pajari has a lead of more than two seconds as he enters the final third of this stage.

6:27 p.m. – ES12 – ⏱️ The Luxembourger completes his special stage in 15:18.3.

6:25 p.m. – ES12 – Adrien Fourmaux and Elfyn Evans are on the track while Grégoire Munster will soon reach the finish line.

6:23 AM – SS12 – ⏱️ Kalle Rovanperä finishes this stage and sets the benchmark at 15:09.0

6:18 p.m. – ES12 – Ott Tänak is one second behind Kalle Rovanperä after four sections.

6:14 p.m. – ES12 – Disappointed with his performance so far, Ott Tänak will try to extract more performance from his Hyundai. The Estonian is starting this special stage.

6:11 p.m. – ES12 – Grégoire Munster takes his turn.

6:08 AM – SS12 – Kalle Rovanperä is off in this special stage!

5h52 - 💬 Despite leading for much of SS11, Sébastien Ogier ultimately lost a few tenths of a second to Elfyn Evans. Visibly shaken by the debris left by Takamoto Katsuta, the Frenchman declined to comment further. "There was a bit of confusion at the start of the stage. Taka hit something and there were objects everywhere. That's just how it is!"

5h40 - 📊 The next special stage – Ena 2 – will cover 21,25 km. Adrien Fourmaux won the ninth stage on this same course, gaining 3,4 seconds on Elfyn Evans. Sébastien Ogier was nearly 5 seconds behind his compatriot.

5h30 - 🕒 The 12th special stage of this Rally Japan will start at 6:08 am (French time).

5:25 am – SS11 – 📊 At the end of this 11th special stage, here is the current standings!

5:22 p.m. – ES11 – ⏱️ As Hiroki Arai arrives in turn, the Japanese driver is nearly 23 seconds behind the WRC2 reference time.

5:19 p.m. – ES11 – ⏱️ Jan Solans loses 3,7 seconds to Cachon. The Spaniard also seems disappointed with his performance.

5:17 p.m. – ES11 – ⏱️ Nikolay Gryazin finishes 9,2 seconds behind.

5:15 p.m. – ES11 – ⏱️ Alejandro Cachon gains 1,5 seconds on Oliver Solberg despite a section negotiated in total drift! Very good control from the Spaniard.

5:14 p.m. – ES11 – ⏱️ Oliver Solberg is the first Rally2 driver to reach the finish line. 14:53.6 for the Swede, visibly hampered by Katsuta's misfortunes on the course.

5:13 p.m. – ES11 – Extremely disappointed, the local participant was unable to utter a single word upon arriving at the finish of this special stage.

5:12 p.m. – ES11 – Takamoto Katsuta finally arrives, 18:34.5 for the Japanese driver who was still in contention for the victory before this special stage…

5:10 AM – SS11 – Sébastien Ogier crosses the finish line in 14:08.0! The Frenchman loses another six tenths of a second to Elfyn Evans and now only has a 1,4-second lead in the standings!

5:07 AM – SS11 – Sébastien Ogier leads by a mere tenth of a second after 16,5 km! The battle with Elfyn Evans is truly on!

5:05 p.m. – ES11 – Takamoto Katsuta restarted after his pit stop. A very difficult stage for the Japanese rider…

5:05 AM – SS11 – ⏱️ It's confirmed, Elfyn Evans has put in a very solid performance! 14:07.5 for the Welshman who takes the lead in this stage!

5:04 p.m. – SS11 – 💬 Elfyn Evans is ahead, but Adrien Fourmaux remains very happy with his performance: "It was a big effort. I managed my tires well, so I'm happy."

5:02 AM – SS11 – ⏱️ 14:11.4 for Adrien Fourmaux who finally gains 1,1 seconds on Sami Pajari! What form the Frenchman is showing this Saturday!

5:01 AM – SS11 – 💥 Takamoto Katsuta could be in serious trouble! The Japanese driver has lost power steering and appears to have hit his front right!

5:00 AM – SS11 – As Sébastien Ogier begins his special stage!

4:59 – SS11 – ⏱️ Nice time set by Sami Pajari in 14:12.5! The Finn takes a 5,5 second lead over Kalle Rovanperä and challenges Adrien Fourmaux, approaching the final kilometers.

4:57 – SS11 – Adrien Fourmaux is almost 3 seconds ahead at km 15!

4:56 p.m. – ES11 – ⏱️ Ott Tänak concludes his effort with a time of 14:24.4 and is 6,4 seconds behind Rovanperä.

4:54 p.m. – ES11 – Sami Pajari is currently 3,4 seconds ahead of the benchmark time approaching the 15km mark, while Elfyn Evans sets off in turn! Adrien Fourmaux is also on the course.

4:53 p.m. – ES11 – ⏱️ Grégoire Munster crosses the finish line in 14:28.7

4:49 AM – SS11 – ⏱️ First time set in 14:18.0 for Kalle Rovanperä! This would have placed him second after SS10. We'll have to wait and see what improvements he makes…

4:45 p.m. – ES11 – Approaching the 7km mark, Ott Tänak is ahead by a few tenths of a second over Kalle Rovanperä.

4:44 p.m. – ES11 – Sami Pajari, somewhat behind Adrien Fourmaux this morning, is making his move and hopes to make up ground on the Frenchman.

4:42 p.m. – ES11 – As Ott Tänak begins his attempt, Kalle Rovanperä now has a three-second lead over Grégoire Munster after the Luxembourger has passed the third section.

4:40 p.m. – ES11 – After 4 km, the Luxembourger is 1,2 seconds behind the Finn in front of him.

4:38 p.m. – ES11 – It's Grégoire Munster's turn to take the plunge.

4:36 p.m. – ES11 – Kalle Rovanperä opens the road, and is the first to set off in this special stage!

4:35 p.m. – ES11 – ☀️ While it is currently 18 degrees in Japan, the special stage will soon begin in still perfect conditions.

4h30 - 📊 This new special stage, 21,74 km long, will follow the same route as stage 10. Elfyn Evans won it earlier in the day, finishing 2,1 seconds ahead of Takamoto Katsuta. Sébastien Ogier lost 5,4 seconds.

4h27 - By the way, if you missed the events of the early evening, here's a summary!

Rally Japan: Fourmaux dominates the Toyotas, Evans catches up with Ogier, a recap of the night before SS11

4h25 - 📊 Still in the lead, Sébastien Ogier now only has a two-second advantage before the start of this new special stage!

4h20 - 👋 Hello everyone, welcome to AUTOhebdo.fr to follow the continuation of this WRC Rally Japan! From 4:35 am (French time), SS11 will restart the hostilities.