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Elfyn Evans holds a commanding 17.8-second lead over teammate Sebastien Ogier as Rally Japan heads into its final day, following Oliver Solberg's dramatic exit. This turn of events could significantly impact the championship race.
Evans started the longest leg of the rally with a 15.6-second cushion over Solberg, who quickly closed the gap to just 10.6 seconds by midday. However, Solberg’s hopes were dashed when he crashed into a tree during stage 10, damaging his GR Yaris beyond repair. Despite losing time while navigating past Solberg’s wreck, Evans maintained composure in challenging conditions, battling rising temperatures and tyre wear.
He regained momentum, clocking a time 3.1 seconds faster than Ogier on the second pass of Ena and securing another stage win on Obara, which stretched his lead back to 20.0 seconds. Ogier, now second after Solberg's crash, struggled to find his pace, admitting that managing tyres in the heat proved difficult. Finn Sami Pajari capitalized on Solberg’s misfortune, moving into third after securing multiple stage wins.
With one day left, Evans remains focused, knowing that the battle is far from over.
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