Ott Tanak has reignited his World Rally Championship title aspirations with a commanding performance on Friday at Rally Japan, after a costly power issue sidelined title contender Thierry Neuville. Tanak dominated the day’s eight stages, leading the rally with a 20.9-second advantage over Toyota’s Elfyn Evans. M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux rounded out the top three, 1m53.9s behind the Estonian.
Tanak, who was realistically relying on Neuville to experience problems to have any chance of clinching the title, received a crucial boost during stage four when Neuville’s Hyundai i20 N suddenly suffered a major power loss. The issue forced Neuville to continue through the following stages in "road mode," significantly reducing his performance. As a result, the Belgian dropped out of the points-paying positions, finishing the day in 15th place, a staggering 7m41.3s behind Tanak.
Neuville, who only needed six points to secure his maiden WRC title, was understandably frustrated after his car’s issues could not be resolved during the midday tyre-fitting zone. The title favorite dropped more time in the afternoon stages, falling to 9th overall after stage five. Despite his setback, Neuville remained determined, saying, “We couldn’t solve the issue. We will keep fighting, and the hard work of the year is valuable now. The 25-point lead has value now.”
In contrast, Tanak’s performance was flawless. The Hyundai driver capitalized on Neuville’s misfortune, winning stage four and gaining time on both Evans and his other rivals. Tanak's stage win propelled him into the lead, a position he solidified by claiming victory in stage six, opening up a 20.4s lead over Evans. His focus and precision in these challenging conditions showcased his rallying pedigree.
Evans, who had chosen a mixed tyre strategy of three hard and three soft tyres, admitted to having made the wrong decision, as the hard tyres didn't provide the necessary grip, especially in the challenging conditions. This misstep left him trailing Tanak, but he remained in second place and continued to push for better results.
The power issue with Neuville's Hyundai also handed Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta a surprise rise to third place, ahead of M-Sport’s Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster. Meanwhile, Sebastien Ogier, who had suffered a puncture earlier in the day, managed to recover and was able to challenge Tanak, finishing just 6.2s behind him in fourth position after the day's stages.
Mikkelsen, who was running in sixth, had a difficult start to the rally, surviving a clash with a bank earlier in the day, but his luck ran out during stage five. He hit a tree after striking a bank again, damaging his car. The incident resulted in the stage being briefly red-flagged to allow the recovery of his Hyundai i20 N.
Despite some issues for other drivers, Tanak's performance has placed him in a commanding position as Rally Japan continues. His ability to capitalize on Neuville’s power issues and maintain his pace has kept his title hopes alive. With two more days of action remaining, Tanak's drive has put him firmly in the fight for the championship, while Neuville faces an uphill battle to recover and clinch the title.
