Overview
- Sébastien Ogier led Rally Japan by 1.0s over championship leader Elfyn Evans at the midday service after SS4, with Takamoto Katsuta 1.7s back.
- Kalle Rovanperä clipped an armco barrier on SS3, damaged his left‑rear suspension, lost 2m22.6s, attempted roadside repairs, and reached service 5m13.2s off the lead in 23rd.
- Evans entered Japan with a 13‑point lead, set consistently quick times through the morning, and briefly backed off on SS2 to avoid a deer.
- Toyota paced the opening loop with Sami Pajari running fourth as the team competes after already securing the manufacturers’ crown.
- Hyundai struggled for speed as Adrien Fourmaux led its charge in fifth, Ott Tänak sat sixth at +45.8s, Thierry Neuville dropped more than a minute with a transmission issue, and M‑Sport’s Josh McErlean retired after a heavy crash.