Tänak leads Rally Japan 2024 after Neuville's problems

Ott Tänak, from Hyundai Motorsport, claimed the lead in the 2024 Rally Japan after a challenging day for his teammate Thierry Neuville, who experienced turbo issues that jeopardized his aspirations for the World Rally Championship (WRC) title.

A promising start for Hyundai in Rally Japan

The day began favorably for Hyundai, with Tänak and Neuville securing a strong 1-2 position in the opening stages of the 2024 Rally Japan. However, Neuville's situation took a turn for the worse when the turbo in his i20 N Rally1 HYBRID lost pressure, drastically reducing engine power. This forced him to endure five additional asphalt stages with a weakened car. By the end of the day, he had lost over seven minutes and dropped to 15th position, casting doubt on his chances of securing the six points needed to achieve his first world title.

With no intermediate service available, Neuville and his co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe had to make the best of a tough situation to keep going. “There’s not much positive to take from today,” admitted Neuville. “When the car worked, the feeling was good, but that’s the only thing I can say.”

Tänak opts for an aggressive approach

Tänak, on the other hand, showcased precision and consistency, adopting an aggressive strategy that kept his championship hopes alive while also strengthening Hyundai's fight against Toyota GAZOO Racing for the manufacturers' title in the WRC. His performance became even more crucial after Norwegian driver Andreas Mikkelsen crashed his i20 N into a tree during the fifth stage, leaving the team without another contender.

Tänak faced a strong challenge from Welshman Elfyn Evans, who briefly took the lead by just 0.7 seconds halfway through the day. However, Tänak regained control and ended Friday with a 20.9-second advantage over Evans, excelling particularly in the Isegami’s Tunnel 2 stage, where he was over 14 seconds faster than the Toyota driver.

Mikkelsen’s crash and the nighttime stage

Mikkelsen’s incident also impacted the Shinshiro (SS7) stage of the 2024 Rally Japan, which had to be contested under nightfall. This worked to the advantage of Adrien Fourmaux, who equipped auxiliary lights on his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 HYBRID, allowing him to handle the reduced visibility better than Takamoto Katsuta, who struggled in that stage. Fourmaux finished third overall, edging out Katsuta by a tenth of a second, although he remains more than a minute and a half behind Evans.

Sébastien Ogier, driving for Toyota, ended the day in fifth after losing nearly two minutes due to a tire change in the second stage of the 2024 Rally Japan. Gregoire Munster followed in sixth, while Nikolay Gryazin, the leader in WRC2, claimed seventh place.

Finn Sami Pajari holds eighth overall and second in WRC2, maintaining a strong position to secure the category’s title. The top ten was rounded out by Josh McErlean and Hiroki Arai, who delivered consistent performances across nearly 130 kilometers of intense competition.

Saturday, the penultimate day of the 2024 Rally Japan, features three stages run twice, concluding with a super special stage at the Toyota Stadium.

Hyundai apologizes to Neuville after technical issues in Rally Japan

Following the issues that impacted Neuville’s car, Hyundai Motorsport issued an apology to the Belgian driver and announced plans to replace all components linked to the turbo. Christian Loriaux, head of Hyundai's WRC program, confirmed that the turbo pressure loss was caused by a wastegate regulation problem, although the exact cause remains under investigation.

“Thierry had a brand-new turbo for this event, and the rest of the parts were already proven reliable,” Loriaux explained. “We know there was pressure loss, and the wastegate regulation wasn’t working. It could be the electric coil, a control box, or the wiring. We don’t know yet, but we’ll investigate tonight and replace everything necessary to fix the issue.”

Loriaux also praised Neuville's composure during the 2024 Rally Japan. Despite the frustration, Neuville remained calm and managed to bring the car back without further complications. Neuville, however, was straightforward: “Apologies don’t change the situation, though I understand that these things happen in motorsport. Now, I just hope the car is ready for Saturday.”

Tänak focused on the team’s goals

Ott Tänak, meanwhile, prefers not to dwell too much on his own title chances. The Estonian is focused on maintaining his lead over Evans and the rest of the Toyota drivers, aiming to help his team secure the manufacturers' title. “I can’t do anything different than what I’m already doing,” Tänak stated. “For now, we need to focus on protecting the team’s position and see what tomorrow brings.”