Ogier leads Rally Japan after Rovanperä setback

Sebastien Ogier leads Rally Japan after a dramatic opening day that saw title contender Kalle Rovanperä suffer major time losses when rear‑left suspension damage and earlier contact with an Armco barrier forced lengthy repairs. Rovanperä, who began the day as leader, dropped to joint fourth after the first stage and then lost more than two minutes following the SS3 collision; further time was shed on Isegami’s Tunnel stage despite field repairs by Rovanperä and co‑driver Jonne Halttunen, leaving them over five minutes off the pace by midday and effectively ending their bid for a clean shot at the championship lead.

Ogier and team‑mate Elfyn Evans — both in Toyotas — capitalised on the Finn’s misfortune. After four stages Ogier held a razor‑thin 1.0‑second advantage over Evans, with Evans claiming the final morning stage to keep pressure on the French veteran. Local driver Takamoto Katsuta sits hot on their heels, 1.7 seconds adrift after briefly topping the classification following SS3 before Ogier reclaimed first. Sami Pajari completes a strong Toyota quartet in fourth, 9.5 seconds behind the leader.

Huyndai’s Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville struggled to match the Toyotas’ early pace; Tänak was sixth, 45.8 seconds back, while M‑Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux climbed to fifth after setup changes following SS2 improved his handling and split times. Conditions were testing through the morning loop — rain and slippery mountain asphalt produced treacherous grip levels that caught several crews out and emphasised the rally’s technical demands.

Rovanperä’s sequence of problems began with time lost on the opening loop and culminated in the suspension failure after striking the barrier, a compounded setback that required on‑road repairs and left the championship hopeful with an uphill task to salvage points. Team responses focused on rapid fixes and damage limitation, but the lost minutes removed the Finn from contention for the rally podium unless extraordinary turnarounds occur in later stages.

The leaderboard reflects Toyota’s dominance in the opening phase but also the event’s volatility: margins are slim at the top, and multiple competitors remain within striking distance. Ogier, a multiple world champion and two‑time Rally Japan winner, is pacing smartly and avoiding errors while Evans, Katsuta and Pajari keep close, setting up a tense contest as the rally progresses.