The 2023 FIA World Rally Championship will reach its climax in Japan next week with a challenging tarmac finale featuring WRC stars and Rally1 hybrid cars.
After 12 action-packed rounds, Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Hartunen may be out of reach in the race to win the drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles respectively, but the chase for runner-up is very much in Active.
Ahead of the Forum 8 Rally Japan, the 8th WRC event to be held from November 16th to 19th, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT’s Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin maintain their provisional 2nd place in the rankings. However, after winning last month’s Central European Rally, which also featured an asphalt-only stage, Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team’s Thierry Neuville and Martin Widege are now just seven points apart.
Last season, when the WRC returned to Japan after a 12-year hiatus, Neuville and Wideg won. However, Evans and Martin held the lead for most of the first two legs before falling back when they had to change wheels. It all points to an exciting battle for the coveted Vice Champion honor.
The M-Sport World Rally Team pair of Ott Tänak and Martin Jarveoja are still in a mathematical battle for a second place finish in the WRC, but Evans/Martin did not score in Japan and the new rider /Widege will be required to add no more than 6 points to his current points total. .
The 2023 WRC season, the second to run without hybrid technology and fossil fuels, has so far produced five different winners, with all three manufacturers – Hyundai, M-Sport Ford and Toyota – celebrating victories. This highlights the wide range of competition brought about by the Rally1 regulations.
Toyota put the FIA World Rally Championship out of the reach of its rivals with Rally Chile in early October, and it is fitting that it ends the season in Japan with the Toyota City-based event.
Pirelli, the WRC’s official tire partner, will supply PZero RA WRC hard and soft compound tires for Formu8 Rally Japan, as well as Cinturato RWB tires in wet weather. Hard compounds are the first choice for warm, dry weather, while soft compounds are suitable for the cool, damp weather expected on early morning mountain stages. Up to 28 tires may be used at the event, including 4 for shakedown.
Prior to the rally, a presentation event organized by the Forum 8 Rally Japan 2023 Committee was held in Tokyo on Friday, November 10th, with key representatives from the Japanese government, national authorities in the transportation, tourism and energy sectors, and event organizers. Meet in one place. , Manufacturer Team, WRC Promoter, FIA. Saturday will be dedicated to activities for Tokyo-based media and fans featuring some of the WRC drivers.
Route overview
Gravel events used to be held in Hokkaido in northern Japan, but WRC’s return in 2022 will feature an asphalt-only itinerary in Honshu for the first time since 2010.
Several changes have been made to the route for the 2023 event, using tight, winding stages in and around Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, 40 kilometers from Nagoya. Most notable is the addition of a dedicated super special stage inside Toyota Stadium, which also houses an event service park. This stadium usually hosts football and rugby matches, but at a time it transforms into a spectacular 2.10km WRC stage, with matches taking place on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Official leg one begins on Friday with the iconic 23.67km Iegami Tunnel stage, the rally’s longest, and includes two further stages before service at Toyota Stadium. His three stages in the morning will be repeated in the afternoon, followed by a rebroadcast of the stadium super special.
Saturday’s route will take you through two full-length stages, preceded by two passes of the Okazaki City Super Special, which uses an all-new route through a vast park area. After going through the tire fitting zone at Okazaki Central Park, the team repeated the early morning Nukata Forest stage and Mikawako stage, then ran the Shinshiro city stage and Toyota Stadium SSS three times.
Sunday’s final leg begins with a first visit to Asahi Kogen, which will be the Wolf Power stage when the match is replayed at 14:15 local time. The next 22.92km test in Ena City will include a new starting point adjacent to Akechi Railway. The tire fitting zone at Nakatsugawa Park will be held after the Nenoue Kogen stage, and the morning stage will be followed by the second run in the afternoon.
FORUM8 Rally Japan Data
Stage distance: |
304.12 km |
Total distance: |
958.95 km |
Number of stages: |
twenty two |
RALLY1 Hybrid contestants
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT: The Japanese manufacturer’s line-up remains unchanged from the Central European Rally, with multiple world champion Sébastien Ogier joining Elfyn Evans and eight-time WRC title winner Kalle Rovanperä in 2023. Home hero Takamoto Katsuta will be piloting his fourth Toyota GR Yaris Rally 1 Hybrid, but will not be eligible to track manufacturer points.
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team: Dani Sordo will start his third tarmac event in a Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, the first since Rallye Monte Carlo in January. Esapekka Lappi will make his Rally Japan debut in 2022, an event won by teammate Thierry Neuville.
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team: Adrien Fourmeau returned to Rally1 level for the first time since RallyRACC – Costa Dorada in October 2022 with his first Rally Japan. The event marks the end of Ott Tänak’s second stint as an M Sport driver before returning to Hyundai in 2024. The Estonian finished runner-up in Japan 12 months ago.
Supported categories
Rally Japan, which won the provisional FIA WRC2 title in 2023, will be a fast lap of honor for Andreas Mikkelsen (Toxport Skoda Fabia RS Rally2). Teammate Nikolai Gryazin and Finnish former F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen will be among the Norwegians’ opponents in the 10-car WRC2 field.
Winning the FIA WRC2 Challenger crown will be the sole focus of three-time European champion Kajetan Kajetanovic, while Alexander Villanueva could secure victory in the FIA WRC Masters Cup in Japan.
Canadian Jason Bailey will aim for wins in the WRC3 and Masters Cup classes in his Ford Fiesta Rally 3.
Media information
media certification
Media certification must be picked up in person by the certified pass holder at the Certification Desk located on the B1 floor of Rally Japan Service Park Toyota Stadium, 7-2 Sengoku-cho, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture 471-0016. The Certification Desk is open as follows:
Monday, November 13th: | 14:00~18:00 |
Tuesday, November 14th: | 08:00~18:00 |
Wednesday, November 15th: | 08:00~18:00 |
Thursday, November 16th: | 08:00~18:00 |
Friday, November 17th: | 08:00~12:00 |
media center
7-2 Sengokucho, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture 471-0016 Rally Japan Service Park Toyota Stadium B1F. The media center is open as follows.
Monday, November 13th: | 14:00~18:00 |
Tuesday, November 14th: | 08:00~18:00 |
Wednesday, November 15th: | 08:00~20:00 |
Thursday, November 16th: | 08:00~22:00 |
Friday, November 17th: | 05:30~22:00 |
Saturday, November 18th: | 07:00~22:00 |
Sunday November 19th: | 05:30~21:00 |
Media activities and opportunities
Married. November 15th | |
15:30: | Tabard Media Safety Briefing, Media Center |
17:00-18:00: | Toyota City Station PR activities (Toyota City Station Square) |
Thursday November 16th | |
09:01~10:30: | P1 driver and invited driver shakedown (Kuragaike Park, 2.75km) |
10:31-12:30: | Shakedown for all priority drivers (Kuragaike Park, 2.75km) |
12:00-13:30: | FIA WRC Media Pen for P1 and P2 Drivers (Service Park) |
15:00: | Autograph session (service park) |
17:30: | Ceremony start including crew introduction (Toyota Stadium) |
18:52: | Section 1 begins |
Friday November 17th | |
05:29: | Section 2 begins |
18:45 hours (approximately): | FIA WRC Meet the Crew (Service Park) |
Saturday November 18th | |
06:40: | Section 5 begins |
17:45: | FIA WRC Meet the Crew Live Interview Session (Service Park) |
Sun. November 19th | |
05:34: | Beginning of section 9 |
16:30: | Finish podium (Toyota Stadium) |
17:15: | Press conference after FIA WRC event (media center) |
media zone
The media zone, which will include all drivers and selected team representatives, will operate as follows:
4A, 7A, 12A, 15A, 19A, 22A
FIA press conference
Thursday’s Meet the Crew and Sunday’s post-event FIA press conference will be streamed live on WRC’s official social channels.
FIA WRC Thursday 13th November, Totota Stadium, meet the crew at the ceremonial start from 17:55
17:55 – FIA Support Championship
Toksport WRT3 – Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR), Škoda Fabia RS (WRC2) and Nikolai Gryazin (ANA), Škoda Fabia RS (WRC2, WRC2 Challenger)
Kajetan Kajetanovic (POL), Skoda Fabia RS (WRC2, WRC2 Challenger)
Heikki Kovalainen (FIN), Skoda Fabia (WRC2, WRC2 Challenger)
Jason Bailey (Canada), Ford Fiesta Rally 3 (WRC3, WRC Masters Cup)
18:10 – FIA WRC Championship
M-Sport Ford WRT – Team Principal Richard Millenar (GBR) and drivers Ott Tänak (EST) and Adrian Formeau, Ford Puma Rally 1 Hybrid
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT – Team Principal Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) and drivers Elfyn Evans, Kalle Rovanpera, Sébastien Ogier (France), Takamoto Katsuta, Toyota GR Yaris Rally 1 Hybrid
Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT – Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul (FRA) and drivers Thierry Neuville (BEL), Esapekka Lappi (FIN), Dani Sordo (ESP), Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
FIA Post-Event Press Conference, Media Center, Sunday 19 November, 17:15
Top 3 drivers in overall standings and winning co-driver
Award-winning manufacturer representative
Drivers who won WRC2, WRC2 Challenger, WRC3, and Masters Cup
2023 WRC2 Challenger Champion
FORUM8 RALLY JAPAN Manufacturer Entry
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT | Kalle Rovanpera (FIN)/Jonne Haltunen (FIN) – #69 |
Elfyn Evans (GBR)/Scott Martin (GBR) – #33 | |
Sébastien Ogier (France)/Vincent Landet (France) – #18 | |
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team | Thierry Neuville (Belgium)/Martin Widege (Belgium) – #11 |
Esapekka Lappi (FIN)/Janne Ferm (FIN) – #4 | |
Dani Sordo (ESP)/Candido Carrera (ESP) – #6 | |
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team | Otto Tänak (EST)/Martin Jarveoja (EST) – #8 |
Adrian Formeau (France)/Alexandre Coria (France) – #16 |
FIA World Rally Championship 2023 Classification
The provisional classification after round 12 of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship can be found here: https://www.fia.com/events/world-rally-championship/season-2023/stands
Forum Eight Rally Japan 2022 Results
1. T. Neuville (BEL)/M. Waidegi (BEL) | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid | 2 hours 43 minutes 52.3 seconds |
2. O. Tanak (EST)/M. Jarveoja (EST) | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid | +1 minute 11.1 seconds |
3. Tetsuya Katsuta (JPN)/A. Johnston (IRL) | Toyota GR Yaris Rally 1 Hybrid | +2 minutes 11.3 seconds |
Rally Japan recent winners
2022 | Thierry Neuville/Martin Widage | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid |
2010 | Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia | Citroen C4 WRC |
2008 | Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen | Ford Focus RS WRC ’08 |
2007 | Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen | Ford Focus RS WRC ’07 |
2006 | Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena | Citroen Xsara WRC |