Adrien Fourmaux leads a round of the World Rally Championship for the very first time after topping Rally Japan’s opening superspecial, but there was almost disaster for Andreas Mikkelsen who almost ran out of fuel.
After shakedown in the morning – where Ott Tänak was fastest of the Rally1 cars – Thursday’s competitive action comprised the first of three runs around the Toyota Stadium superspecial this weekend.
Up against Sébastien Ogier in his heat, M-Sport’s Fourmaux set a scorching pace to beat his fellow Frenchman by 2.2 seconds – a run that was enough to win the stage by 0.5s over Tänak.
Takamoto Katsuta was third fastest, making it three different manufacturers in the early top three.
“We have had so many quotes this year with Fast & Furious, so I couldn’t come here in Tokyo and not have the neon,” smiled Fourmuax, whose Puma Rally1 is sporting a neon under glow.
“I wanted to live the dream I was having when I was younger.”
Katsuta (+0.8s) and Elfyn Evans (+0.9s) were both within a second of Fourmaux’s effort, with Ogier and Neuville sharing the fifth fastest time.
“We are counting down the stages that’s for sure, but it was only a small one and the big ones are coming,” said Neuville, who needs just six points in Japan to become world champion.
“It’s good to see everyone motivated but at the same time quite relaxed. We will try and support the team if we can but also thinking about the drivers’ title.”
Grégoire Munster was 0.6s slower than the pair ahead but looked beaten by Mikkelsen as well before the Norwegian’s Hyundai slowed towards the end of the stage.
“I was empty of fuel, and with half a lap to go it started stopping,” Mikkelsen said. “I had to drive right and left to get some fuel and we almost didn’t reach the finish line.”
Nikolay Gryazin was fastest in WRC2 by a clear two seconds over Sami Pajari and Gus Greensmith in his Citroën C3 Rally2.
Pajari and Greensmith shared the same time with former Formula 1 driver Heikki Kovalainen just a tenth of a second behind them both.
