Overview
- Kalle Rovanpera won the Kuragaike Park super special by 0.1s over Ott Tänak to lead after the first stage.
- Times were exceptionally tight on the 2.75km opener, with only one second covering the top eight runners.
- Sébastien Ogier was fourth at +0.4s as Elfyn Evans started 0.8s off the pace, tied for sixth with Adrien Fourmaux behind Toyota’s Sami Pajari.
- Earlier, Evans topped shakedown in 2:13.8 on the 1.75-mile course to head a Toyota 1-2-3, with Takamoto Katsuta just 0.6s slower.
- Tänak remains a long-shot contender and is entered in a way reported to keep his points separate from Hyundai’s tally, allowing engine changes without penalties.