Motorsport: Sebastien Ogier big in Japan and on eyeing title record

The French driver finished with an 11.6s victory margin.

The Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 of Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais on their way to victory during a rain-lashed final day of the FORUM8 Rally Japan, the penultimate round of the World Rally Championship. The Irish crew of Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy didn't restart the event following their retirement on the third stage where their Ford Puma Rally1 was damaged. Picture: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool.

Eight-times World Rally champion French driver Sebastien Ogier remains on course for a record equalling ninth title (with Sebastien Loeb) following a great battle with his Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate and title contender Elfyn Evans to claim victory on the FORUM8 Rally Japan, the penultimate round of the series. 

On an extremely wet final leg Ogier finished with an 11.6s victory margin, he topped the Super Sunday standings to close to within three points of Evans ahead of the title decider in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, another teammate Kalle Rovanpera was sixth and is now 24 points off the lead. Ott Tanak's (Hyundai) title hopes are over and following the event, the Estonian announced that he is to step back from full-time rallying at the end of the season.

During Saturday's leg of seven stages Ogier and Evans traded times over the demanding stages. Welsh ace Evans, who began the day 10.2s behind Ogier closed the gap to just 1.4s after SS11 having notched up his 200th career WRC stage win on the previous stage. The margin between them was less than 2s until the day's final pair of stages where Ogier gave a strong performance to end the with a narrow 6.5s advantage.

Home hero Takamoto Katsuta and his Irish co-driver Aaron Johnston were holding third until their Toyota GR Yaris hit a water-filled barrier on SS11 and broke its power steering and dropped down the order before collecting a five minute penalty for exceeding maximum lateness. That promoted Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux into third, his team mate Ott Tanak held fifth from the M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 of Gregoire Munster with Rovanpera seventh. Prior to the day's first stage outgoing WR champion Thierry Neuville spotted a broken driveshaft and although he managed to finish the stage, he retired for the day.

Then, on the way to Sunday's first stage Neuville's Hyundai suffered an electrical issue and he returned to the service park and retired from the rally. Hyundai's woes continued when Adrien Fourmaux slid off the road and into trees, the impact ripping the co-driver's door from his car, he retired on the road section. That promoted Finland's Sami Pajari into third and he went on to take a career-first podium and a lock-out of the top three for Toyota on their home event. Although Evans took a fraction of a second off Ogier on the morning test, Ogier held firm and stretched his lead over all the remaining stages. "It's obviously a perfect result," Ogier said. "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 set-up change this morning in the car very quickly felt good, so well done (to the team ) it's amazing." After taking a stage win on SS14, Tanak's Hyundai suffered a puncture on the next stage, he was fourth with Munster (a best-equalling fifth) as Rovanpera finished sixth to retain what now seems an outside hope of the WR title.

Meanwhile, Donegal's Eamonn Kelly (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) and Monaghan's Conor Mohan took a start to finish victory in the Donegal Forest Rally, the concluding round of the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship. Leading from the start they finished 31.1s ahead of the VW Poli GTi R5 of Donegal's David Kelly and his Killarney co-driver Shane Buckley. Derry's Jordan and Paul Hone (Ford Fiesta R5) were 3s further behind in third.

Top seed and championship winner Tyrone's Jason Mitchell lost precious seconds on the first stage when they caught one of the two-wheel drive cars that had suffered a puncture. Eamonn Kelly finished the stage with a 4.1s lead over David Kelly with Mitchell down in sixth place. The second stage was cancelled as some (non-rally) cars were parked too close to the stage. There was little between the leading duo on SS3 only for Eamonn Kelly to blitz the opposition on SS4 to lead by 28.4s before taking his first major Irish rally win. Meanwhile, second place in the J1000 category for Letterkenny's James McShea and Dromtarriffe's Grace O'Brien was enough to seal the J1000 Championship.

Elsewhere, Longford's Pakie Duffy and Monaghan's Evin Hughes (Subaru) won the Monaghan Drumlin Night Navigation Trial, the third round of the MI National Navigation Trial Championship that was based in Knockatallen. The Birr M.C. Autocross at O'Briensbridge-Montpelier, the final round of the National and Munster Autocross Championships, was won by Cathal Mulcaire (Casmat Buggy).

FORUM8 Rally Japan (Round 13, World Rally Championship) Toyota City:1. S. Ogier/V. Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally) 3h. 21m. 08.9s; 2. E. Evans/S. Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+11.6s; 3. S. Pajari/M. Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+2m. 16.6s; 4. O Tanak/M. Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +3m. 18.1s; 5. G. Munster/L. Louka (Ford Puma Rally1)+6m. 48.7s; 6. K. Rovanpera/J. Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+7m. 01.5s.

WRC Drivers' Standings (After Round 13 of 14):1. E Evans 272pts; 2. S. Ogier 269pts; 3. K. Rovanpera 248pts Donegal Forest Rally (Final round Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship) Donegal: 1. E. Kelly/C. Mohan (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) 31m. 13.6s; 2. D. Kelly/S. Buckley (VW Polo GTi R5)+31.1s; 3. J. Hone/P. Hone (Ford Fiesta R5)+34.1s; 4. J. Mitchell/P. McCrudden (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+31.3s; 5. S. Dickson/B. Teggart (Ford Fiesta rally2)+1m. 12.3s; 6. D. Mackarel/E. Creedon (Ford Fiesta R5)+1m. 21.6s; 7. D. Kelly/E. Doherty (Mitsubishi Lancer E9)+2m. 20.9s; 8. M. McCormack/R. Kennedy (BMW M3 e30)+2m. 50.8s; 9. C. Wilson/K. Wilson (Hyundai i20 R5)+2m. 57.0s; 10. J. Brennan/E. Doherty (Ford Fiesta Rally3)+3m. 11.0s.