Earlier this week Citroen announced their 2024 WRC2 driver lineup. A lineup which includes a new face along with a familiar one.
A Familiar Face
Yohan Rossel will once again drive for Citroen in WRC2 after a strong showing in 2023. Rossel ended the season third in the championship. Ending the season 7 points behind Gus Greensmith. Rossel won 2 events last season, tying him with Oliver Solberg and Gus Greensmith for the second-most wins. The 28-year-old Frenchman showed the Citroen C3 can still compete with the likes of Sköda and M-Sport, despite not being as up-to-date.
A New Face
Yohan Rossel will have a teammate this season. As Citroen will expand their WRC2 program from one to two cars. Joining Rossel will be Nikolay Gryazin. Gryazin finished fourth in the championship, 8 points behind Rossel. Gryazin drove for Toksport last season. The 26-year-old took home no wins last season. Grayzin did finish on the podium 4 times last season. Including three second places. Gryazin will give Citroen another championship challenger. As Gryazin is one of the WRC’s best up-and-coming drivers.
What Events Will The Drivers Do?
Yohan Rossel and Nikolay Gryazin’s schedules still have yet to be confirmed. However, it is believed both drivers will debut at Rallye Monte-Carlo next month. From there Rossel will likely compete in most of the same events as last season. Gryazin competed in all but two events last season. This gave Gryazin valuable experience at the events. However, that likely won’t happen this season as Citroen has less funding than Toksport. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Grayzin competed in Montecarlo, Croatia and Japan again. As he finished second at all of those events last season. Rossel heads into Rallye Monte-Carlo as the reigning winner in the class. This comes after Gryazin received a penalty for corner cutting which dropped him out of the rally lead.
Earlier this week it was announced Kalle Rovanperä would contest a part-time campaign in 2024. What could this mean for the WRC? Find out below.
A New Champion
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. With Rovanperä only competing at select events he won’t be able to win the championship. Unless he competes at say 10 of the 13 events, which is something he sounds as if he doesn’t want to do. Meaning there will be a “new” champion in 2024. The term “new” is used loosely as Ott Tänak has a strong chance at winning another championship. Although his last and only title win came in 2019. The battle for the championship will likely be a three-horse race. As Hyundai drivers Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville will battle it out with Elfyn Evans from Toyota.
How It Benefits The WRC
There is a silver lining that makes the Rovanperä move to part-time a good one for the WRC. The part of this that benefits the WRC is basically the same thing as the above section. As a prolonged title fight equals more fan interest throughout the season. Fans don’t want to watch a title fight that they can guess the result of before the season even starts. Before Rovanperä, if you guessed Ogier or Loeb would win the championship, you were most likely correct. In 2024 we will get a taste of what it was like before the Sebastien domination. As before the mid-2000s the championship was pretty much anybody’s to win.
Does Rovanperä Move To Part-Time Say Anything About The WRC
To be honest, no Rovanperä wanting a part-time drive next season doesn’t say much about the WRC. As Rovanperä had a very good reason for wanting to do a part-time drive. That reason being he has driven rally cars for the past 15 years with no real breaks. Like anyone when you do something for that long you get tired of it. Rovanperä also wants to explore other motorsports while he’s still young. He’s not really interested in chasing Loeb’s nine-championship record, or at least anytime soon.
The Underlying Facts
Kalle Rovanperä going to part-time isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the WRC. As if not only allows a new champion to be crowned. It also allows him a break to hopefully pursue rally into his late 30’s. At the end of the day, Rovanperä will be missed, however, if he needed a break he needed a break. For him why wait? He has nothing to lose. He’s the best driver in the WRC currently. A year off isn’t going to change that.
The fourth and final day of Forum8 Rally Japan has come to an end. Andreas Mikkelsen held on to take the WRC2 class win.
SS17, Asahi Kougen 1
Andreas Mikkelsen topped the first stage of Forum8 Rally Japan’s final day. As Mikkelsen would set a time 1.9 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin on the stage. Kajetan Kajetanowicz rounded out the top three on the stage, finishing 18.5 seconds slower than Gryazin.
SS18, Ena City 1
Andreas Mikkelsen also took the stage win on the second stage of the day. Posting a time 22.8 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin to win his second stage of the day. Kajetan Kajetanowicz finished third fastest on the stage, 1 minute and 31.5 seconds slower than Gryazin.
SS19, Nenoune Kougen 1
Andreas Mikkelsen yet again took the stage win on the nineteenth stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. As the Norwegian set a time 5.6 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin to win his third consecutive stage. Kajetan Kajetanowicz once again rounded out the top three on the stage, finishing 28.5 seconds slower than Gryazin.
SS20, Ena City 2
Andreas Mikkelsen also took the stage win on the fourth stage of the day. Posting a time 18.2 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin to win his fourth consecutive stage. Kajetan Kajetanowicz finished third fastest on the stage, 57.8 seconds slower than Gryazin.
SS21, Nenoune Kougen 2
Nikolay Gryazin stopped Mikkelsen’s win streak by taking the stage win on the 21st stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. Gryazin set a time 7.1 seconds faster than Andreas Mikkelsen to win the stage. Kajetan Kajetanowicz rounded out the top three on the stage, 7.6 seconds slower than Mikkelsen.
SS22, Wolf Power Stage Asahi Kougen 2
Nikolay Gryazin also took the final stage win of the event. Posting a time 8.3 seconds faster than Kajetan Kajetanowicz to win his second stage of the day. Andreas Mikkelsen finished third fastest on the stage, 0.4 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz.
Earlier today the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT announced their 2024 World Rally Championship lineup.
Full-Time Drivers
Elfyn Evans
Elfyn Evans remains a full-time driver for the Japanese team. This comes after Evans had a strong 2023 season. Winning three events and pushing the championship battle to the Central European Rally. A battle that could’ve gone further if Evans hadn’t crashed into a barn on the third day of the event. Evans also claimed 4 additional podiums in 2023.
“I’m looking forward to heading into what will be my fifth consecutive year with the team. We’ve had some great successes together over the last four years and I’m excited to continue that story with Toyota Gazoo Racing. I gelled with the team immediately when I joined and it feels very much like home now. The support from everyone to get me feeling comfortable in the GR YARIS Rally1 has been great, and we’ve continued to make progress this year. I’m keen to build on that and be even better in 2024. We have a lot more to achieve together and I’m excited about the future. As always, the target will be to win, whether that’s in each rally or in the championship.” Said Evans.
Takamoto Katsuta
This also isn’t a change. As Katsuta has been a full-time driver for Toyota since 2021. Katsuta still has yet to claim his first rally win. However, Katsuta had a strong showing this past weekend at his home event in Japan. As the 30-year-old put on the drive of a lifetime. Winning nearly half of the events stages, nobody could stop Katsuta. However, this didn’t lead to a win as a crash on SS2 forced Katsuta into EV mode for SS2 and SS3. Toyota is hoping this is a sign of things to come for the Japanese star.
“I’m really excited to start a new season with [the team] next year. I learned a lot this year: there were some rallies that were good for me and some that were not so good, but those have made me stronger and will hopefully help me in the future. Next year will be important to prove what I can do, and I will try to make it the best season of my career so far.” Said Katsuta.
Part-Time
Sebastien Ogier
Eight-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier will once again be a part-time driver for the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT. Ogier was arguably a top-three driver this past season. Winning three of the eight events he competed in. He likely would’ve also won Rally Italia Sardegna if his foot hadn’t slipped during a stage. Ogier will provide Toyota with a strong third car at the events he competes in. The number of events Ogier will compete in is still unknown. However, it sounds as if Ogier will compete in 10 events next season.
“I am of course really happy to still be with Toyota Gazoo Racing for next year. The 2023 season has been good for me and more importantly for the team, and managing to clinch all three titles again is great. I also really enjoy the balance that this kind of partial programme gives me, and next season should be pretty similar in that respect. As long as the success is there for me and the team, I think we should try to carry on in a similar way.” Said Ogier.
Kalle Rovanperä
The biggest shock of the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT is Kalle Rovanperä moving to part-time. Rovanperä has good reason for this, however. As the two-time World Rally Champion wants a little break.
“I am really excited to have signed a multi-year contract and to continue working with the team. Next year I am only going to be driving some of the events and the biggest reason for this is that I have been driving rally cars for 15 years already, which is quite a long time, and while the last seasons have been amazing of course, they have also been really demanding mentally and physically. So, I felt that now would be a good moment to take a year for recharging the batteries, and then come back again full-time to fight for the championship once more with a full attack. I enjoy all kinds of motorsport and I’m looking forward to doing some drifting and maybe some other cool events as well as the rallies which we will be selecting next year.” Said Rovanperä.
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Principal Jari-Matti Latvala said the following about the 2024 lineup. “We are very happy to be keeping our winning driver line-up together for the future. It’s great to know that we have such a strong squad of drivers who feel at home in our car and our team and want to continue working with us. Kalle’s programme will be a bit different in 2024 but the important thing for us is that he is a Toyota driver and he wants to stay with the team and keep enjoying his passion for rallying.
Even though he is young, he has been driving rally cars at a serious level for a long time and he feels a part-campaign would be best for him now so that we can look forward to more full seasons together in the future. It’s also great that Seb continues with us, and it means that together with Kalle, we will have two multiple world champions as strong assets in our defence of the manufacturers’ championship. Elfyn has shown us again this year that he can win rallies and compete for championships, and we know he will give his best efforts in every rally. Taka proved at Rally Finland this year that he can be up there in the fastest rallies and hopefully, we can see him as a contender for podiums in almost every rally next season.”
The fourth and final day of Forum8 Rally Japan has come to an end. Elfyn Evans held on to take home the win.
SS17, Asahi Kougen 1
Thierry Neuville kicked off the final day of Forum8 Rally with a stage win. As Neuville would set a time 2.1 seconds faster than Takamoto Katsuta to win the day’s opening stage. Elfyn Evans and Esapekka Lappi tied for third fastest on the stage, with both drivers finishing 2 seconds slower than Katsuta. Kalle Rovanperä posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.1 seconds slower than Evans and Lappi. Sebastien Ogier rounded out the top five times on the stage, 0.7 seconds slower than Rovanperä.
SS18, Ena City 1
Thierry Neuville also took the win on the second stage of the day. With Nueville posting a time 6.1 seconds faster than Takamoto Katsuta for his second stage win of the day. Elfyn Evans finished with the third fastest time on the stage, 4.5 seconds slower than Katsuta. Ott Tänak set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 4.7 seconds slower than Evans. Sebastien Ogier rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 1.5 seconds slower than Tänak.
SS19, Nenoune Kougen 1
Takamoto Katsuta snapped Thierry Neuville’s win streak on the nineteenth stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. As Katsuta would set a time 5.3 seconds faster than Neuville to win his first stage of the day. Esapekka Lappi finished third fastest on the stage, 4.4 seconds slower than Neuville. Elfyn Evans posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.6 seconds slower than Lappi. Sebastien Ogier rounded out the top five on the stage, 1.6 seconds slower than Evans.
SS20, Ena City 2
Thierry Neuville was back to his winning ways on SS20. As the Belgian posted a time 3 seconds faster than Esapekka Lappi to win the stage. Ott Tänak finished third fastest on the stage, 8 seconds slower than Lappi. Takamoto Katsuta set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2.4 seconds slower than Tänak. Sebastien Ogier rounded out the top five on the stage, 0.4 seconds slower than Katsuta.
SS21, Nenoune Kougen 2
Takamoto Katsuta took the stage win on the 21st and penultimate stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. Katsuta won the stage by setting a time 4.6 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville. Ott Tänak finished third fastest, 0.4 seconds slower than Neuville. Esapekka Lappi posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.8 seconds slower than Tänak. Kalle Rovanperä rounded out the top five on the stage, 1.7 seconds slower than Lappi.
SS22, Wolf Power Stage Asahi Kougen 2
Thierry Neuville took home the final stage win of the 2023 WRC season. As Neuville posted a time 2.3 seconds faster than Ott Tänak to win the stage. Esapekka Lappi finished third fastest, 4.4 seconds slower than Tänak. Takamoto Katsuta set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.2 seconds slower than Lappi. Sebastien Ogier rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.2 seconds slower than Katsuta.
The third day of Forum8 Rally Japan has come to an end. Andreas Mikkelsen retains the event lead after the day’s seven stages.
SS9, Nukata Forest 1
Andreas Mikkelsen topped the first stage of the third day of Forum8 Rally Japan. With Mikkelsen posting a time 2.2 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin to win the stage. Heikki Kovalainen finished third fastest on the stage, 44.3 seconds slower than Gryazin. Kajetan Kajetanowicz set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 14.3 seconds slower than Gryazin. Daniel Chwist rounded out the top five on the stage, 23.2 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz.
SS10, Lake Mikawako 1
Andreas Mikkelsen also took the win on the second stage of the day. Setting a time 7.5 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin on the stage. Kajetan Kajetanowicz, 28.9 seconds slower than Gryazin. Heikki Kovalainen posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 12.1 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz. Osamu Fukunaga rounded out the top five on the stage, 1.1 seconds slower than Kovalainen.
SS11, Okazaki City SSS1
Nikolay Gryazin took the stage win on the eleventh stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. Gryazin posted a time 0.1 seconds faster than Andreas Mikkelsen to win the stage. Kajetan Kajetnowicz finished third fastest on the stage, 1.6 seconds slower than Mikkelsen. Heikki Kovalainen set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 5.2 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz. Daniel Chwist rounded out the top five on the stage, 7.2 seconds slower than Kovalainen.
SS12, Okazaki City SSS2
Nikolay Gryazin also took the stage win on the twelfth stage of the weekend. Posting a time 0.4 seconds faster than Andreas Mikkelsen to top the stage. Kajetan Kajetanowicz finished third fastest on the stage, 0.3 seconds slower than Mikkelsen. Heikki Kovalainen set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 5.3 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz. Daniel Chwist and Osamu Fukunaga tied for fifth fastest on the stage, with both drivers finishing 9 seconds slower than Kovalainen.
SS13, Nukata Forest 2
Nikolay Gryazin also won the thirteenth stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. Setting a time 6.5 seconds faster than Andreas Mikkelsen to win his third consecutive stage. Heikki Kovalainen finished third fastest on the stage, 18.8 seconds slower than Mikkelsen. Kajetan Kajetanowicz posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 15 seconds slower than Kovalainen. Osamu Fukunaga rounded out the top five on the stage, 25.9 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz.
SS14, Lake Mikawako 2
Andreas Mikkelsen was back to his winning ways on SS14. As Mikkelsen posted a time 7.1 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin to win the stage. Kajetan Kajetanowicz finished third fastest on the stage, 24.8 seconds slower than Gryazin. Osamu Fukunaga set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 22.9 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz. Eamonn Boland rounded out the top five on the stage, 1 second slower than Fukunaga.
SS15, Shinshiro City
Andreas Mikkelsen also took the stage win on the penultimate stage of the third day. Setting a time 3.7 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin to win the stage. Kajetan Kajetanowicz finished third fastest on the stage, 1.2 seconds slower than Gryazin. Osamu Fukunaga posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 12.2 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz. Eamonn Boland rounded out the top five on the stage once again, 4.4 seconds slower than Osamu.
SS16, Toyota Stadium SSS3
Andreas Mikkelsen ended the penultimate day of Forum8 Rally Japan with a stage win. As Mikkelsen would set a time 0.4 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin. Kajetan Kajetanowicz finished third fastest on the stage, 1.3 seconds slower than Gryazin. Daniel Chwist posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 6.6 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz. Osamu Fukunaga rounded out the top five on the stage, 4.8 seconds slower than Chwist.
Forum8 Rally Japan WRC2 Day Two Recap
The third day of Forum8 Rally Japan has come to an end. Elfyn Evans retains the event lead after the day’s seven stages.
SS9, Nukata Forest 1
Sebastien Ogier and Takamoto Katsuta tied for the stage win on the opening stage of the third day of Forum8 Rally Japan. With both drivers posting a time 3.1 seconds faster than rally leader Elfyn Evans to win the stage. Ott Tänak finished with the third fastest time on the stage, 1.1 seconds slower than Evans. Thierry Neuville set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.6 seconds slower than Tänak. Esapekka Lappi rounded out the top five times on the stage, 5 seconds slower than Neuville.
SS10, Lake Mikawako 1
Takamoto Katsuta was the sole fastest time on SS10. As Katsuta set a time 1.1 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to win the stage. Ott Tänak finished third fastest, 1 second slower than Neuville. Sebastien Ogier posted the fourth fastest time on the stage; 7.6 seconds slower than Tänak. Kalle Rovanperä rounded out the top five on the stage, 2.8 seconds slower than Ogier.
SS11, Okazaki City SSS1
Elfyn Evans took the win on the eleventh stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. Posting a time 0.2 seconds faster than Ott Tänak to win his first stage of the day. Thierry Neuville finished third fastest on the stage, 0.2 seconds slower than Tänak. Sebastien Ogier set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.4 seconds slower than Neuville. Kalle Rovanperä rounded out the top five on the stage, 0.9 seconds slower than Ogier.
SS12, Okazaki City SSS2
Elfyn Evans also took the stage win on SS12. Setting a time 0.9 seconds faster than Ott Tänak to win his second consecutive stage. Sebastien Ogier finished third fastest on the stage, 0.3 seconds slower than Tänak. Kalle Rovanperä posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.4 seconds slower than Ogier. Thierry Neuville rounded out the top five on the stage, 0.2 seconds slower than Rovanperä.
SS13, Nukata Forest 2
Takamoto Katsuta was back to his winning ways on the thirteenth stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. With Katsuta posting a time 2.8 seconds faster than Sebastien Ogier to win the stage. Ott Tänak finished third fastest on the stage, 1.4 seconds slower than Ogier. Thierry Neuville set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.6 seconds slower than Tänak. Esapekka Lappi rounded out the top five on the stage, 5 seconds slower than Neuville.
SS14, Lake Mikawako 2
Takamoto Katsuta also took the win on SS14. Setting a time 0.8 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to win his fourth stage of the day. Ott Tänak finished third fastest on the stage, 1.9 seconds slower than Neuville. Esapekka Lappi posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 7.6 seconds slower than Tänak. Kalle Rovanperä rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 3 seconds slower than Lappi.
SS15, Shinshiro City
Takamoto Katsuta also won the fifteenth stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. Katsuta would finish with a time 0.4 seconds faster than Kalle Rovanperä to win his fifth stage of the day. Rally leader Elfyn Evans finished third fastest on the stage, 1 second slower than Rovanperä. Esapekka Lappi set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.1 seconds slower than Evans. Ott Tänak rounded out the top five on the stage, posting a time 0.4 seconds slower than Lappi.
SS16, Toyota Stadium SSS3
Esapekka Lappi won the final stage of the third day of Forum8 Rally Japan. Lappi would set a time 1.5 seconds faster than Ott Tänak to take his first stage win of the day. Thierry Neuville finished third fastest on the stage, 0.6 seconds slower than Tänak. Takamoto Katsuta posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.5 seconds slower than Neuville. Elfyn Evans rounded out the top five on the stage, 0.3 seconds slower than Katsuta.
Katsuta Shines Again
Takamoto Katsuta won five of the day’s seven stages. This moved Katsuta up from 9th to 6th overall, 14.9 seconds behind Tänak. Katsuta likely would’ve been in the rally lead if he hadn’t spun out on SS2. Katsuta has been arguably the best driver this weekend and feels like he has more to show.
The second day of Forum8 Rally Japan has come to an end. Andreas Mikkelsen leads the class after the days seven stages.
SS2, Isegami’s Tunnel 1
Andreas Mikkelsen started off the second day of Forum8 Rally Japan with a stage win. Mikkelsen would set a time 7.8 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin to take the class lead and his first stage win of the event. Heiki Kovalanen finished third fastest on the stage, 43.2 seconds slower than Gryazin. Kajetan Kajetanowicz was the last driver to finish the stage, 4.2 seconds slower than Kovalanen. The stage was cancelled after Kajetanowicz ran.
SS3, Inabu Dam 1
Andreas Mikkelsen also won the third stage of the weekend. Posting a time 30.9 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin to win the stage. Osamu Fukunaga finished third fastest on the stage, 17 seconds slower than Gryazin. Heiki Kovalanen set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2.4 seconds slower than Fukunaga. Eamonn Boland rounded out the top five on the stage, 18.7 seconds slower than Kovalanen.
SS4, Shitara Town 1
Cancelled due to safety concerns.
SS5, Isegami’s Tunnel 2
Nikolay Gryazin took the stage win on the fifth stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. Setting a time 15.8 seconds faster than Andreas Mikkelsen to take his first stage win of the day. Heiki Kovalanen finished third fastest on the stage, 27.4 seconds slower than Mikkelsen. Kajetan Kajetanowicz posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 30.3 seconds slower than Kovalanen. Osamu Fukunaga rounded out the top five on the stage, 40.1 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz.
SS6, Inabu Dam 2
Andreas Mikkelsen was back in form on SS6, taking yet another stage win. Mikkelsen would set a time 1.2 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin to win his third stage of the day. Heiki Kovalanen finished third fastest on the stage, 14.2 seconds slower than Gryazin. Kajetan Kajetnowicz posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 16.5 seconds slower than Kovalanen. Osamu Fukunaga rounded out the top five on the stage, 38.2 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz.
SS7, Shitara Town 2
Andreas Mikkelsen also won the seventh stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. Posting a time 6.5 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin. Heiki Kovalanen finished third fastest on the stage, 21.7 seconds slower than Gryazin. Kajetan Kajetanowicz set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 28.4 seconds slower than Kovalanen. Osamu Fukunaga rounded out the top five on the stage, 28.3 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz.
SS8, Toyota Stadium SSS 2
Andreas Mikkelsen took home the stage win on the final stage of the second day. Setting a time 0.1 seconds faster than Nikolay Gryazin to win his third consecutive stage. Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Heiki Kovalanen tied for third fastest on the stage, both drivers finished 1.3 seconds slower than Gryazin. Osamu Fukunaga posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 7.9 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz and Kovalanen. Eamonn Boland rounded out the top five times on the stage, 1.2 seconds slower than Fukunaga.
Forum8 Rally Japan Day One WRC2 Recap
The second day of Forum8 Rally Japan has come to an end. Elfyn Evans leads after the days seven stages.
SS2, Isegami’s Tunnel 1
Elfyn Evans took the first stage win of the second day of Forum8 Rally Japan. Setting a time 4 seconds faster than Sebastien Ogier to win the stage. Thierry Neuville finished third fastest on the stage, 16.8 seconds slower than Ogier. WRC2 driver Andreas Mikkelsen posted the fourth fastest time, 6 seconds slower than Neuville. Kalle Rovanperä rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 5.5 seconds slower than Mikkelsen.
SS3, Inabu Dam 1
Elfyn Evans also won the third stage of the weekend. With Evans posting a time 10.1 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to win the stage. WRC2 driver Andreas Mikkelsen finished third fastest on the stage, 6.1 seconds slower than Neuville. WRC2 driver Grégoire Munster set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 18.3 seconds slower than Mikkelsen. Sebastien Ogier rounded out the top five on the stage, 4.3 seconds slower than Munster.
SS4, Shitara Town 1
Cancelled due to safety concerns.
SS5, Isegami’s Tunnel 2
Takamoto Katsuta took his first win of the weekend on the fifth stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. Posting a time 3.3 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to top the stage. Sebastien Ogier finished third fastest, 12.9 seconds slower than Neuville. Elfyn Evans set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2.6 seconds slower than Ogier. Kalle Rovanperä rounded out the top five on the stage, 5.4 seconds slower than Evans.
SS6, Inabu Dam 2
Takamoto Katsuta also won the sixth stage of the weekend. Setting a time 0.3 seconds faster than rally leader Elfyn Evans to win his second consecutive stage at home. Sebastien Ogier finished third fastest on the stage, 4.4 seconds slower than Evans. Kalle Rovanperä posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 12.1 seconds slower than Ogier. Esapekka Lappi rounded out the top five on the stage, 3.3 seconds slower than Rovanperä.
SS7, Shitara Town 2
Takamoto Katsuta topped the seventh stage of Forum8 Rally Japan. Posting a time 1.1 seconds faster than Elfyn Evans to win his third consecutive stage. Sebastien Ogier finished third fastest on the stage, 6.5 seconds slower than Evans. Kalle Rovanperä set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2.6 seconds slower than Ogier. Esapekka Lappi rounded out the top five on the stage, 10.7 seconds slower than Rovanperä.
SS8, Toyota Stadium SSS2
Esapekka Lappi took home the stage win on the final stage of the second day of Forum8 Rally Japan. Lappi would set a time 1 second faster than Sebastien Ogier and Takamoto Katsuta who tied for second. Ott Tänak finished third fastest on the stage, 0.1 seconds slower than Katsuta and Ogier. Kalle Rovanperä set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.1 seconds slower than Tänak. Elfyn Evans rounded the top five times on the stage, 0.8 seconds slower than Rovanperä.
Katsuta Shines
Takamoto Katsuta was arguably the best driver on the second day of Forum8 Rally Japan. As the Japanese driver could’ve been leading the rally by a decent margin. If it wasn’t for a crash and spin on SS2 that forced him to only use his hybrid engine for the stage. Despite the loss of time, Katsuta ends the second day in 9th, 25.1 seconds behind Ott Tänak.
The afternoon loop of the second day of Forum8 Rally Japan is underway. Thierry Neuville is the latest driver to fall victim to the conditions.
Neuville Out
Thierry Neuville crashes out of Forum8 Rally Japan on the sixth stage of the event. Neuville sat second overall, 10.5 seconds behind Elfyn Evans heading into SS6. Unfortunately, just 100 meters into the stage Neuville overshot the first corner of the stage. Which caused him to hit a tree. As a result, Neuville was unable to restart the stage. Ending his day in the process.
Joining Two Others
Thierry Neuville is the third Rally1 driver to retire from the second day of Forum8 Rally Japan. As both Adrien Fourmaux and Dani Sordo retired on SS2 earlier today. Both Fourmaux and Sordo crashed out in the same spot on the stage. Hopefully, all three drivers will be able to restart the rally for day three.
Unfavorable Conditions
The second day of Forum8 Rally Japan has had some very unfavorable conditions throughout the day. As heavy rain forced the cancellation of SS4. Add that to fog on some stages and visibility is low. “I couldn’t see anything. I have done a lot of rallies in my life but I have never been scared as much as this morning.” Said Neuville after SS3. There are some questions to be raised about the safety of the stages. As on tight narrow stages like the ones in Japan, it leaves little room for error. Luckily there aren’t many places that go alongside a cliff edge. As that could end badly if an accident were to happen. Nevertheless, the rally will continue despite the conditions. It remains to be seen if more stages will get cancelled due to weather.
One Hyundai Driver Left
Only one Hyundai driver has the chance to win Forum8 Rally Japan. With Neuville and Sordo out, Esapekka Lappi is the sole Hyundai driver. Luckily manufacturer points don’t matter for Hyundai. As the manufacturers’ championship was won at Rally Chile BioBio. However, the Korean team was hoping to upset Toyota again this season by winning on home soil for Toyota like last season.