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Ogier Holds Narrow Rally Japan Lead Over Evans Entering Final Day

Six Sunday stages will settle a Toyota team battle shaped by penalties and retirements.

Overview

  • Sebastien Ogier leads Elfyn Evans by 6.5 seconds after Saturday to set up a final-day decider.
  • Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux sits third at 23.6 seconds back after winning stages 8 and 9 despite difficult handling.
  • Local contender Takamoto Katsuta struck water-filled barriers, damaged power steering, and incurred a 5:40 late check-in penalty that dropped him to 20th.
  • Thierry Neuville retired with a driveshaft failure on a liaison section, saying the issue resembled a defect from shakedown.
  • After losing more than five minutes to rear-left suspension damage from a guardrail hit, Kalle Rovanperä recovered to seventh by day’s end.