Sébastien Ogier claimed victory at Rally Japan, closing the gap to just three points behind Elfyn Evans in the World Rally Championship standings. The 2025 world title will now be decided at the final round. Ott Tänak delivered the weekend’s biggest surprise by announcing a break from the WRC to focus on family life.
In the penultimate round of the season, drivers tackled 20 asphalt stages set on the narrow, twisty and slippery mountain roads of Aichi and Gifu. These stages have a reputation for punishing even the smallest mistake, as Kalle Rovanperä and Joshua McErlean found out early in the rally. Toyota’s dominance was absolute, with its drivers winning 17 of the 20 stages, locking out the podium and securing the team’s 12th victory in 13 events this season.
Elfyn Evans was the only driver capable of sealing the championship in Japan but needed to outscore both Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä by 23 points — both of whom had won the previous asphalt rounds. That objective proved elusive, and the title fight now moves to Saudi Arabia in three weeks’ time.
The opening leg was a near-perfect day for Toyota, which swept all seven stages (111 km). Sébastien Ogier won three of them, ending the day 7.9 seconds ahead of local hero Takamoto Katsuta and 10.2 seconds clear of Evans. Hyundai had hoped to close the season strongly by winning on Toyota’s home soil, but it quickly became apparent that their pace wasn’t enough. Adrien Fourmaux held fourth place, 24 seconds adrift of Ogier, as the best-placed Hyundai driver. Meanwhile, Kalle Rovanperä clipped a barrier, damaging his rear suspension and losing over five minutes, ending his hopes of victory.
The second leg, the longest of the event with seven stages totalling 121 km, saw Ogier fend off Evans’s attacks by setting the pace on three stages. Adrien Fourmaux held third, 23.6 seconds behind the leader and the top Hyundai representative.
The rally was ultimately decided by mere seconds in a thrilling final-day battle between Ogier and Evans across six stages (72 km). In need of a strong points haul after retiring in the previous round, Ogier delivered a flawless drive, mastering the slippery conditions to win both the Super Sunday and the Power Stage — by just 0.1 seconds. It was his sixth victory of the season, putting the Frenchman in an excellent position to claim a record-equalling ninth world title.
“This result is perfect for us, and I’m delighted to win here at Toyota’s home event,” said Ogier. “It was an intense weekend, especially the final day, with very challenging conditions. Congratulations to the team for giving us another great car. Elfyn pushed me all weekend — great victories only come against great rivals.”
Evans, for his part, maintained blistering pace in the demanding conditions, and second place keeps him atop the championship standings. “It was a fun weekend and another great result for the team,” the Welshman said. “It wasn’t easy fighting so closely in these tricky conditions. We gave it our all, but Seb drove incredibly well and was tough to beat. The battle was really tight, especially in the Power Stage. We lost a few points, so it all comes down to the final round.”
Adrien Fourmaux retired after ripping off the right-hand side of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 in an off-road incident, allowing Sami Pajari to move into third and claim his first-ever WRC podium.
After the rally concluded, Ott Tänak announced that he would be stepping away from full-time WRC competition at the end of the year, bringing to a close an 18-season career highlighted by his 2019 world title. “After many unforgettable seasons, I’ve decided to take a break. It wasn’t an easy choice, but I feel this is the right time to dedicate more attention to my life and family back in Estonia. This isn’t a permanent farewell — just a chance to reset, recharge and refocus,” Tänak said. The Estonian has started 170 WRC events with Ford, Toyota and Hyundai, earning 22 wins and 58 podiums.
Another (expected) announcement followed: WRC2 champion Oliver Solberg will join Toyota as a factory driver in 2026, stepping into the seat vacated by Kalle Rovanperä, who is set to compete in Japan’s Super Formula series.
The world title will now be decided at the final round. Elfyn Evans leads Sébastien Ogier by just three points, with Kalle Rovanperä a further 24 behind — and 35 points still up for grabs.
In WRC2, Oliver Solberg (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) once again dominated, leading from start to finish to win by 1m06s over Alejandro Cachón (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2).
The 2025 World Rally Championship will conclude with the inaugural Rally Saudi Arabia (26–29 November), based in Jeddah. The event features 17 gravel stages covering 319.4 km, combining mountainous terrain with desert tracks.
Final Classification
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Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – 3h21m08.9s
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Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – +11.6s
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Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – +2m13.9s
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Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) – +2m16.6s
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Grégoire Munster / Louis Louka (Ford Puma Rally1) – +3m18.1s
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Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – +7m01.5s
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Oliver Solberg / Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) – +9m35.5s (1st WRC2)
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Alejandro Cachón / Borga Rozada (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) – +10m41.6s
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Nikolay Gryazin / Konstantin Aleksandrov (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) – +11m36.2s
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Jan Solans / Rodrigo Sanjuán (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) – +12m26.0s
Championship Standings
Drivers
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Elfyn Evans (Toyota) – 272 pts
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Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) – 269 pts
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Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) – 248 pts
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Ott Tänak (Hyundai) – 213 pts
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Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) – 166 pts
Manufacturers
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Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT – 692 pts
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Hyundai World Rally Team – 464 pts
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M-Sport Ford World Rally Team – 191 pts
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Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 – 145 pts