Sébastien Ogier delivered a flawless performance on Toyota’s home soil, taking victory at Rally Japan and closing the gap to just three points behind his team-mate Elfyn Evans, who finished second only 11.6 seconds adrift. As expected, Toyota locked out the entire podium in Japan, with Sami Pajari securing third place, over two minutes behind the Frenchman. The other title contender, Kalle Rovanperä, saw his chances fade early after hitting a guardrail, leaving him far from the points needed to keep a balanced fight with Evans and Ogier heading into the final round in Saudi Arabia — though mathematically, he still remains in contention.
The Rally Japan turned into a true celebration for the home team, which had already secured the manufacturers’ crown, with a clean sweep of the podium despite the misfortune of local hero Takamoto Katsuta, who fought hard to stay among the frontrunners. Toyota also used the occasion to confirm its 2026 line-up: alongside Evans, Ogier, Katsuta and Pajari, the team will welcome the speed and talent of young Oliver Solberg. The Swede was once again the fastest driver in WRC2, even without scoring points, having already sealed the 2025 title. Victory in the category went to Spain’s Alejandro Cachón, also driving a Toyota, more than a minute behind Solberg.
Toyota placed seven GR Yaris cars inside the top ten, while Hyundai had to settle for Ott Tänak’s fourth place, 3m18s behind the winner. After the rally, Tänak announced a break from the WRC in 2026 — possibly with only a partial programme, or perhaps none at all — joining Kalle Rovanperä, who had also confirmed he will sit out next season. M-Sport Ford managed fifth place with Grégoire Munster. Now, all eyes turn to Saudi Arabia, from 27–30 November, where the 2025 World Rally Champion will finally be decided between Elfyn Evans (272 points), Sébastien Ogier (269) and Kalle Rovanperä (248).