Sébastien Ogier delivered a masterclass in control and experience to win a rain-lashed FORUM8 Rally Japan 2025, setting up a thrilling three-way title showdown in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) finale later this month.
The French eight-time world champion held off Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate and points leader Elfyn Evans, securing victory by 11.6 seconds after a tense final leg around Aichi and Gifu. The result narrows the championship gap to just three points, with Kalle Rovanperä still in the hunt, 24 points adrift in third.
Persistent rainfall transformed Japan’s winding asphalt stages into treacherous rivers of standing water, testing the drivers’ precision and nerve. Evans, who started the day 6.5 seconds behind, initially appeared poised to challenge Ogier by winning the opening Nukata stage. However, Ogier immediately hit back at Lake Mikawako, regaining control and never looking back.
Behind the leading duo, Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux crashed out from third, promoting young Finnish driver Sami Pajari to his first-ever WRC podium, sealing a 1-2-3 Toyota sweep on home soil — a dream result for the Japanese manufacturer.
Evans’ hopes of victory faded after a dramatic slide on the Okazaki super special, costing him precious seconds and handing Ogier the momentum. The Frenchman maintained composure through the remaining stages to seal his fifth career win in Japan.
“It’s obviously a perfect result. It’s been a challenging weekend with all the rain — like starting a new rally this morning. The car felt great after our setup change, and I’m proud of what the team achieved. Now, let’s take this fight to Saudi Arabia.”
Ogier said
Pajari completed the podium ahead of Ott Tänak, who overcame a puncture to finish fourth and claim a stage win in SS15 for Hyundai. Grégoire Munster equalled his career-best fifth for M-Sport Ford, while Rovanperä recovered to sixth after suspension issues on Friday.
The Rally2 class was topped by Oliver Solberg, with Alejandro Cachón taking WRC2 victory over Nikolay Gryazin. In WRC3, Italian youngster Matteo Fontana’s second-place finish was enough to crown him 2025 WRC3 Champion.
Rally Japan Final Classification (Top 6)
- S. Ogier / V. Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – 3h 21m 08.9s
- E. Evans / S. Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – +11.6s
- S. Pajari / M. Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – +2m 16.6s
- O. Tänak / M. Järveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) – +3m 18.1s
- G. Munster / L. Louka (Ford Puma Rally1) – +6m 48.7s
- K. Rovanperä / J. Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – +7m 01.5s
WRC Drivers’ Standings (After Round 13 of 14)
- E. Evans – 272 pts
- S. Ogier – 269 pts
- K. Rovanperä – 248 pts
The 2025 WRC season finale heads to Saudi Arabia (26–29 November), where the first-ever desert rally in Jeddah will decide who claims the ultimate prize in what promises to be a historic WRC title showdown.
For more on the FIA World Rally Championship, visit www.wrc.com.