Evans Wins FORUM8 Rally Japan to Extend WRC Title Lead
Elfyn Evans delivered a masterclass on Toyota Gazoo Racing’s home roads to secure victory at FORUM8 Rally Japan on Sunday, strengthening his grip on the FIA World Rally Championship title race and celebrating a major career milestone.
The Welshman claimed his third Rally Japan triumph after leading from Friday morning’s second stage and controlling the event across 20 demanding asphalt stages in the Aichi and Gifu regions. Evans eventually finished 12.8 seconds ahead of team-mate Sébastien Ogier, while Sami Pajari completed an all-Toyota podium in third.
Home favourite Takamoto Katsuta narrowly missed out on a podium finish in fourth as Toyota produced a remarkable lockout of the top four positions on home soil.
The victory marks Evans’ second win of the 2026 season and the 50th WRC podium of his career. More importantly, it extends his championship lead to 151 points, placing him 20 points clear of Katsuta after seven rounds of the 14-event season.
“What a great weekend. I have to say a huge thanks to the team, amazing car again on Tarmac, and thank you to Morizo-san for all your support. Hopefully, this win is a token of appreciation.
There’s a long way to go in the championship yet. It’s too early to really talk about it, but we have to just enjoy this win.”
said Evans
Evans Takes Control Early
The foundations for victory were laid on Friday when Evans produced a decisive performance through the famous Isegami’s Tunnel stage to move into the rally lead. From that point onward, he expertly managed changing grip levels, rising temperatures and pressure from his team-mates.
Toyota appeared set for an intense internal battle when Oliver Solberg emerged as Evans’ closest challenger on Saturday morning, reducing the gap to just 10.6 seconds. However, the Swede’s hopes ended abruptly after crashing on the opening pass of Mt. Kasagi later that afternoon.
Solberg’s exit promoted Ogier into second place and set up a fascinating duel between the two Toyota stars. Despite relentless pressure from the nine-time world champion, Evans remained composed throughout Sunday’s final stages.
Ogier reduced the deficit to 13.3 seconds before the rally-ending Wolf Power Stage, but Evans had enough in reserve to seal a record third FORUM8 Rally Japan victory.
“I know the reason, but that’s the way it is. Didn’t manage it this weekend. Not a bad rally either. The gap to Elfyn was made in one stage with the road position. The rest was, even with the struggle, not far away.”
Ogier reflected afterward
Pajari Continues Impressive Form
Finnish youngster Sami Pajari continued his impressive rise with another podium finish, ending the rally 51.4 seconds behind Evans.
Pajari delivered a particularly strong second half of the event, claiming multiple stage victories and securing his fifth podium finish from just seven WRC starts this season.
“The feeling is good and it is nice to get back on the podium. It was a shame we lost that one in Portugal as it would have been a good streak. It is a big shame that it is the last rally for these Rally1 cars on Tarmac.”
said Pajari
Katsuta Falls Just Short
For Japanese star Takamoto Katsuta, the dream of a home victory remains unfinished.
Despite a determined charge on Sunday, including victory on the first pass of Lake Mikawako and second-fastest times in both the Super Sunday standings and Wolf Power Stage, early struggles left him with too much ground to recover.
Katsuta ultimately finished fourth, just 12.1 seconds behind Pajari.
“Sorry for the Japanese fans. We are not able to even take a podium. My dream continues. I keep pushing. Special thanks to all the Japanese fans. I’ll try next year to get a victory for you.”
he said
Hyundai and M-Sport Battle On
Adrien Fourmaux emerged as Hyundai Motorsport’s leading driver in fifth place, finishing 2 minutes 34.8 seconds behind Evans.
Reigning world champion Thierry Neuville endured a challenging weekend and settled for sixth after struggling to find the ideal balance in his Hyundai i20 N Rally1. Team-mate Hayden Paddon completed Hyundai’s effort in seventh.
M-Sport Ford’s Jon Armstrong impressed on his Rally Japan debut to finish eighth overall. WRC2 winner Nikolay Gryazin secured ninth position, while Josh McErlean rounded out the top ten despite losing valuable time to a wheel change on Saturday.
Although Solberg’s crash ended his podium hopes, the Swede salvaged maximum bonus points by winning both the Super Sunday classification and the Wolf Power Stage. He topped the final-day standings by 8.6 seconds over Katsuta and claimed the Power Stage by 1.1 seconds.
Toyota Extends Manufacturers’ Advantage
Toyota’s dominant performance significantly strengthened its position in the manufacturers’ championship.
The Japanese manufacturer now leads the standings with 370 points, ahead of Hyundai on 243. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 occupies third with 106 points, while M-Sport Ford sits fourth on 85 points.
Attention now turns to the legendary EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, scheduled for 25–28 June in Loutraki. The event marks the beginning of a demanding sequence of gravel rallies that could play a decisive role in shaping the 2026 championship battle.
FORUM8 Rally Japan – Top 6 Overall Classification
- Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – 3h 17m 08.0s
- Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +12.8s
- Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +51.4s
- Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1m 03.5s
- Adrien Fourmaux / Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +2m 34.8s
- Thierry Neuville / Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +3m 13.6s
