Championship-chasing Elfyn Evans lost ground to title rival Sebastien Ogier on yesterday’s second day of Rally Japan, while Kalle Rovanpera’s hopes of a third world crown took a hit.
Welshman Evans went into the penultimate rally of the season with a 13-point lead over his Toyota team-mates Ogier and Rovanpera, and could wrap up his first world title in Japan if he outscores both by 23 points.
Evans was in third place after yesterday’s action, 10.2 seconds behind leader and eight-time world champion Ogier.
Photo: EPA
“Seb’s pulled the pin out a bit this afternoon and I haven’t had the pace to follow him,” said Evans, a four-time championship runner-up. “That’s the case, but there’s a long way to go in this rally and we’ll keep trying.”
If Evans does not win the title this weekend, the championship would be decided at the season-ending Rally Saudi Arabia later this month.
Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta finished the day in second, 7.9 seconds behind Frenchman Ogier.
Ogier won three of the day’s six stages on the twisting, leaf-strewn asphalt roads of the Japanese course in dry, sunny conditions.
The 41-year-old was back to his best after a crash at last month’s Central European Rally put a dent in his title hopes.
“It’s been a good day, happy with that, I think we did what we had to do today,” said Ogier, who would equal countryman Sebastien Loeb’s record if he wins his ninth world title.
“It’s nice to be there, still a long way to go but we’ll try to leave our chances alive until the last rally,” he said.
Rovanpera saw his championship hopes fade after clipping a barrier on the third stage.
The collision damaged the Finn’s suspension and forced him to use a spanner as a makeshift brace until he could get his car in for repairs.
He finished the day a full 5 minutes, 42.2 seconds behind Ogier’s leading time.
“We just went a bit too fast in one corner, probably had a bit too optimistic pace note for it,” said Rovanpera, who is to leave rallying at the end of the season to join the Japanese Super Formula Championship.
“Always when you need to fix something, you need to try to create something with what works,” he said.
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