Ogier takes WRC title fight to the wire with rainy Rally Japan win

Sebastien Ogier won a rain-lashed Rally Japan on Sunday to set up a three-way fight for the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship drivers’ title at the Saudi Arabian finale later this month.

The eight-time WRC champ (pictured above) fended off Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate and points leader Elfyn Evans through a rain-soaked final leg, winning by 11.6s to close the gap to just three points with a maximum of 35 on offer at the inaugural Rally Saudi Arabia. Kalle Rovanpera’s sixth-place finish puts him 24 points off the lead, ensuring three factory Toyota drivers remain in contention.

But despite finishing fourth in Japan, Hyundai driver Ott Tanak’s faint hopes are now over, making it a certainty that Toyota will add a 2025 drivers’ crown to the WRC manufacturers’ title it’s already wrapped up.

Persistent rain lashed the final six stages around Aichi and Gifu, turning the all-asphalt roads into rivers of standing water. Evans began the day 6.5s adrift of Ogier in their GR Yaris Rally1s and initially looked poised to strike back, edging the Frenchman by 0.8s through the opening 12.57-mile Nukata 1 test before Ogier reasserted control on the following stage, the 8.69-mile Lake Mikawako 1.

WRC points leader Elfyn Evans pushed until the end in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, but fell just short of teammate Sebastien Ogier. Toyota Gazoo Racing photo

Behind them, there was drama for the third of the overnight podium trio. Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux slid off the road and into trees, ripping a door from his i20 N Rally1 and retiring soon afterward. His demise promoted Sami Pajari into a career-first podium position – a result that capped a breakout year for the 23-year-old Finn and sealed a dream 1-2-3 for Toyota at its home event.

Evans remained within striking distance of Ogier, but a wild moment on the first of the two 1.23-mile Okazaki super specials – his Yaris sliding down a grass bank before rejoining – dented his rhythm. Ogier stayed clean to stretch his margin to 8.3s, before extending it further on the final two stages to ensure a decisive victory.

“It's obviously a perfect result,” said Ogier, who scored maximum Super Sunday and Power Stage points as well as 25 for the overall win, making it 35 points in total. "It's been a challenging weekend because after this rain today, nothing was certain. It was like the start of a new rally this morning, but big setup changes this morning in the car very quickly felt good, so well done, team – it's amazing to count on that.

“Now, let's go to the next one. This was a perfect weekend for us to come back so close [to Evans], and let's hope the last one [in Saudi Arabia] is not a lottery.”

Sebastien Ogier celebrated a maximum points haul in Japan, heading a Toyota 1-2-3 and taking his quest for a record-equaling ninth WRC title to the season finale. Toyota Gazoo Racing photo

Pajari’s measured drive secured third ahead of Tanak, who endured a puncture in the morning rain but managed to win the morning’s first stage in his i20 N Rally1.

Completing the surviving Rally1 crews, M-Sport Ford’s Gregoire Munster took a career best-equaling fifth overall in his Puma Rally1, with Rovanpera climbing to sixth after losing several minutes to suspension damage on his GR Yaris on Friday.

M-Sport Ford’s Gregoire Munster took a career best-equaling fifth overall in his Puma Rally1, albeit almost seven minutes off of the overall lead. M-Sport photo

In WRC2, the second tier of international rallying, newly crowned class champ Oliver Solberg was best of the Rally2 contingent in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. But with the Swede not entered for WRC2 points this weekend, his near-flawless run was an experience-builder on the Japanese asphalt in preparation for a possible Rally1 campaign next season.

Behind Solberg, Alejandro Cachon was best of the point-scoring runners, claiming his first-ever WRC2 class win as he kept his cool in the sodden conditions to head Nikolay Gryazin and Jan Solans on a dramatic final day.

The Spaniard led from start to finish in his GR Yaris Rally2, winning by an eventual 54.6s. Behind him, a spin for Solans in his similar Toyota on the penultimate stage – the repeat of Nukata – allowed Gryazin to snatch second in his Skoda Fabia RS by just under a minute.

Cachon had built his advantage early in the rally and never looked threatened, mastering the ever-changing grip that caught out several of his rivals.

“It's incredible,” he enthused. “I love this feeling. I have to say a lot of thanks to my team, Teo Martin Motorsport. Not a lot of people know, but until Wednesday, we didn't have a car here. We had problems with the boat, so they took a plane with a new car to come here and start the rally.”

Alejandro Cachon mastered the Japanese asphalt and the changing conditions to take a first WRC2 class win in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Red Bull Content Pool

Next up, it’s a new challenge for everyone as the 2025 WRC season concludes with the inaugural edition of Rally Saudi Arabia. Based in Jeddah, the event’s all-gravel stages will be the setting for a three-way title shootout. Can Evans hang on for his first WRC title? Will Ogier make it a record-equaling ninth? Or does Rovanpera snatch his third WRC crown before switching to open-wheel racing in Japan’s Super Formula series next season? All will be revealed, Nov. 26-29.

WRC Rally Japan, final positions after Sunday/Leg Three, SS20
1 Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 3h21m08.9s
2 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +11.6s
3 Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +2m16.6s
4 Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +3m18.1s
5 Gregoire Munster/Louis Louka (Ford Puma Rally1) +6m48.7s
6 Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +7m01.5s 
7 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – WRC2/non-points) +9m35.5s
8 Alejandro Cachon/Borja Rozada (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – WRC2 winner) +10m41.6s
9 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Skoda Fabia RS – WRC2) +11m36.2s
10 Jan Solans/Rodrigo Sanjuan (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – WRC2) +12m26.0s

WRC Drivers’ Championship after 13 of 14 rounds
1 Evans 272 points
2 Ogier 269
3 Rovanpera 248
4 Tanak 213 
5 Thierry Neuville 166
6 Takamoto Katsuta 111

WRC Manufacturers’ Championship after 13 of 14 rounds
1 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 692 points (2025 champions)   
2 Hyundai Word Rally Team 464   
3 M-Sport Ford 191
4 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 145

• Catch more 2025 WRC action on the RACER+ App and the RACER Network. There’s LIVE Wolf Power Stage coverage from every rally on the RACER+ App, plus same-day airings on the RACER Network. Next up, it’s action from the season finale, the all-new, all-gravel Rally Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, Nov. 29.

• Get 6 print issues of RACER Magazine, unlimited digital access to the RACER archive, and 24/7 motorsports streaming on the RACER+ App for one year at only $8.33/month, two years at $7.71/month, or three years at $7.22/month. CLICK HERE and subscribe now for the ultimate motorsports fan experience.