The WRC2 season is drawing to a close, but the challenges keep coming. FORUM8 Rally Japan presents one of the toughest tests of the year - a rally that rewards precision as much as outright speed.
Japan's narrow, twisting mountain roads demand total focus. Edged by concrete walls and drainage ditches, they leave no room for error and call for the highest concentration across all 20 stages.
Thirteen WRC2 crews have signed up to take on the challenge, each eyeing a hard-earned podium come Sunday afternoon.
With the title already secured by Oliver Solberg in Chile, attention now turns to the fight for runner-up honours. Three drivers - Gus Greensmith, Nikolay Gryazin and Jan Solans - all remain in contention heading into the season finale.
Greensmith leads that charge on his sixth WRC2 start of the year. The Briton, who claimed victory on Safari Rally Kenya in his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, returns after his title bid faded in Paraguay and Chile. Fourth in WRC2 and sixth overall on his two previous Japan starts, he'll be looking to finish his season on a high.
Tied with Greensmith on 57 points, Gryazin has every reason to be confident. The Škoda driver dominated in Japan last year, winning by a commanding 1min 45.6sec, and finished second in 2023. That form makes him one of the clear favourites this weekend.
Spain's Solans is also firmly in the hunt. The Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 driver returns after skipping Central European Rally, just three points behind his rivals in the standings. Eleventh in class here last year, Solans will draw on that experience as he looks to secure second overall.
Newly crowned champion Solberg is also entered but ineligible for points, having already completed his seven scoring rounds. Rally Japan marks the Swede's debut on these roads.
"Coming here to Japan, we really have quite a job to do," said Solberg. "This is the first time for us and we need to understand the roads and how things change with the weather and how much cutting is going on. There's a lot to learn - that's the priority for us here."
Among the European contenders, 2024 Spanish champion Alejandro Cachón and former Formula 1 driver Heikki Kovalainen will also add intrigue. Cachón has already shown strong asphalt pace this season, finishing second at Rally Islas Canarias and fifth in Greece, while Kovalainen arrives fresh from clinching a third Japanese Rally Championship title alongside co-driver Sae Kitagawa. The pair's best Rally Japan finish to date is fourth in class in 2022.
Several local crews will also look to impress. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC Challenge Program driver Yuki Yamamoto makes his second start on home soil, while Hiroki Arai - son of Subaru legend Toshi Arai - returns in his familiar Škoda Fabia R5 after claiming third in WRC2 last year.
Completing the field is 2008 Japanese champion Norihiko Katsuta, father of Toyota Rally1 star Takamoto. He will pilot a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 as he targets another strong home performance.
--This news comes from WRC NEWS and is NOT for commercial purposes