WRC
Sébastien Ogier wins the Rally Japan and dominates the Power Stage by a tenth
© Nikos Katikis / DPPI
After Rally of Central Europe, especially marked by a costly off-track excursion for Sébastien OgierThe Frenchman needed to make up ground to keep his title hopes alive before Saudi Arabia. More than effective, the driver Toyota Sébastien Ogier delivered a flawless performance at the Rally Japan. Winner of the rally, leading the overall standings by 11,6 seconds, and also victorious on Super Sunday, he managed to take the Power Stage by being the last to cross the drenched track. By a mere tenth of a second, Ogier edged out Elfyn Evans at the finish line, securing a perfect 35 points out of a possible 35.
A truly remarkable feat achieved by Sébastien Ogier, this victory was made possible in particular by ten stage wins during the Rally Japan. Bringing his total to 804 stage wins, the eight-time world champion had surpassed the 800 mark on the 14th stage of the weekend, marking the end of Saturday's rally.
Second, Elfyn Evans remains the leader of the WRCNow with a three-point lead, the Welshman will head into the Saudi Arabia Rally as the championship leader, but he has suffered a significant setback. Capable of winning four stages this weekend, the Toyota driver was nearly nine seconds behind Sébastien Ogier at the start of the rally. Finding the strength to close to within almost a second on Saturday, the championship leader was unable to take the lead on any stage this Sunday, thus eliminating any chance of victory against his teammate.
ALSO READ > Relive Sébastien Ogier's victory in the Power Stage of the Rally Japan with live text commentary
Ogier is back in the game, Fourmaux comes close to a podium finish
While Sébastien Ogier's Rally Japan was marked by points gained and a string of victories, Adrien fourmaux He, too, could have shone. Despite a particularly difficult start to the competition for HyundaiThe Frenchman nevertheless managed to secure two stage wins – on stages 8 and 9 – to climb to third place overall. Firmly holding onto this third position, he was ultimately caught out by a mud puddle early in the day, forcing him to retire. The right door was torn off in the accident, although both drivers escaped unharmed.
Particularly frustrating for other drivers, like...Ott Tänak or Kalle Rovanperä, struggling for performance, this Rally Japan was also marked by Takamoto Katsuta's off-road excursion. Visibly distressed at the end of a special stage without power steering, the Japanese driver was still in contention for the win at that point on Friday.
Finally, in WRC2, it was Spaniard Alejandro Cachon who ultimately secured the victory. Despite the participation of Oliver Solberg, the reigning champion, the Spaniard topped the standings. The next round, the final event of the 2025 WRC season, is now scheduled for November 25-29. Sébastien Ogier will need to score at least four more points than Elfyn Evans to clinch his ninth world title. The Welshman, meanwhile, will have the opportunity to win his first championship.
WRC – Rally Japan
The standings at the end of the Power Stage
Mathieu Chambenoit
Responsible for the single-seater categories (F2, F3, FRECA, Eurocup-3, F4...), I enjoy discussing F1, Endurance, or MotoGP.
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Alain Féguenne (🇱🇺 Luxembourg)
09/11/2025 at 08:52 a.m.
Sébastien Ogier… S. Loeb, W. Röhrl… M. Mouton, and others, a true champion among champions… 🏆🏆🏆 🧢 Hats off… an exceptional season. France can be very proud… 👍🇫🇷👍. alainkf1@pt.lu 😎👀👍🇫🇷👀🏆
Tibus
09/11/2025 at 08:24 a.m.
What masterful driving from Ogier, showcasing his intelligence as much as his speed! What a contrast with Fourmaux. Isn't there anyone to tell him that if he's leaving his two world champion teammates in his dust, it's perhaps not thanks to exceptional talent but rather due to irresponsible risk-taking? Does Hyundai even have a team manager?