WRC Rally Japan: Rally returns to Land of the Rising Sun
9th November 2022The World Rally Championship will return to the Land of the Rising Sun for the final round of the 2022 championship, home of the reigning team champions: Toyota.
The last time the WRC ventured into Japanese Territory was back in 2010 where Toyota’s eight-time world champion, Sebastien Ogier, secured victory.
However, it is set to take place in Aichi, on asphalt roads, rather than the gravel routes in Hokkaido.
As a result, the new routes will provide a new challenge for the nine-car WRC entry list – and it will hopefully provide a thrilling end to a great season.
M-Sport Ford recently withdrew their driver Adrian Fourmaux from Rally Japan due to ‘high costs associated with long-haul events.’ Instead the team – and Fourmaux – have opted to switch their focus to the 2023 season, and their ‘development projects.’
This means the entry list for the Rally1 drivers will be the lowest it has been all year.
If the myth is to be believed, Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta will be looking to be pushed forward by the support of his home crowd. However, the Japanese driver will have to fight for victory against his teammates.
Ogier will be looking to seal back-to-back victories in Japan, 12 years apart, following his last win in the Land of the Rising Sun back in 2010. Elfyn Evans will be hunting down his first rally win of the season, after a lackluster season. At the same time, the newly-crowned champion, Kalle Rovanpera will be searching for his seventh victory this year.
However, it will not be plain sailing for the Toyota team. After Hyundai failed to secure the driver and teams championships this season, it would give the South Korean team pleasure to beat their 2022 rival on their home soil – in the final round of the year.
Ott Tanak may be willing to ruin Toyota’s party, on home ground, but it will also be his final rally with Hyundai after it was revealed the Estonian will leave the team after Rally Spain.
That’s all for the article; WRC Rally Japan: Rally returns to Land of the Rising Sun! What are you looking forward to this weekend? Let us know in the comments!
Read more WRC here:
- How Rovanpera secured the title in New Zealand
- WRC Rally New Zealand – Day 3: Rovanpera clears out front after Greensmith crash
- WRC Rally New Zealand – Day 2: Tanak top 0.2s ahead of Evans
- WRC2 Rally New Zealand: Paddon sets the pace in opening stage
- WRC Rally New Zealand: Tanak on top for opening stage
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
