Elfyn Evans leads Rally Japan by just 0.7 seconds over Ott Tänak after Friday morning’s group of stages, but world champion elect Thierry Neuville ran into power problems.
Both World Rally Championship titles are up for grabs at the 13th and final round of the season in Japan, although the manufacturers’ is seemingly more open with Neuville the firm favorite for the drivers’ prize.
But Toyota’s hopes of overturning its 15-point deficit took a very early hit as Sébastien Ogier punctured and Takamoto Katsuta knocked a tire off the rim on SS2.
By contrast, Neuville won the stage from Tänak who established a 0.5s advantage at the head of the field with Evans the only other driver in the same zip code.
Tänak extended that lead on SS3 as Neuville elected to reduce his pace given the chasm of 45s that had opened on the previous stage between the top three and the rest.
But in doing so, he left himself susceptible to attack from Evans who closed to just 0.6s behind.
However far worse was to come on SS4, as mid-way through the stage Neuville’s Hyundai was significantly slowed as he ran into some kind of power problem, dropping 40s.
Worryingly for the Belgian, there is no mid-point service on Friday – only a remote tire fitting zone.
“I don’t know [what’s wrong],” he said, “no power.”
Neuville's i20 N Rally1 wasn't at full health by the end of the loop
Neuville did at least retain a podium place – currently 31.0s ahead of Takamoto Katsuta who grabbed fourth from Adrien Fourmaux.
Evans meanwhile didn’t just pass Neuville on SS4 but also took the lead from Tänak, whose only response to Neuville’s trouble was: “Not good news.”
Evans however wasn’t counting his chickens: “It doesn’t change anything,” he cautioned. “This rally is renowned for this so it’s not easy.”
Andreas Mikkelsen and Grégoire Munster had been dead level in sixth position overall after Friday’s second stage, but Munster misjudged a square-right and therefore dropped behind the Norwegian by 12.6s.
“There was a slippy braking which I didn’t have in my pacenotes,” he said, “so I had to make the car spin to not go straight in the wall.”
Nikolay Gryazin holds a commanding 46.7s lead in WRC2 after a front-left puncture cost Sami Pajari over half a minute.
But the Finn remains in a championship-winning position, holding second place in his Toyota – aided by Gus Greensmith locking the rear brakes and damaging his Škoda on the same stage.
“A lot has been going but it’s still quite OK for the moment. I just need to keep focused and drive how I feel.”
A stage win for Sébastien Ogier has helped him recover to ninth overall, 31.0s adrift of Munster.
Gryazin’s Citroën is ahead on the leaderboard by 19.1s.
