Elfyn completes hat-trick of Rally Japan wins to extend WRC lead

Welsh star leads from the front in last Tarmac rally of the campaign.

Taking victory at Rally Japan for the third time in four years, Elfyn led home a 1-2-3-4 finish for the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team on home roads and extended his championship advantage. 

Elfyn sealed a 12.8s winning advantage over Sébastien Ogier and claimed three additional points from Super Sunday to extend his lead at the front of the championship to 20 points on the final Tarmac event of the season. 

This year, with a move forward from November to late May, the event was held in warmer temperatures which exceeded 30 degrees and provided a different challenge for the crews, their cars and their tyres.

On the narrow and twisting forest-covered roads in the mountains of the Aichi and Gifu prefectures, Elfyn excelled once again, especially in Friday’s infamous Isegami’s Tunnel stage where he made the most of his position at the front of the road order to build an early lead. 

He managed the rally expertly, holding a lead from the second stage to the finish despite being pursued over the following days by his team-mates. The result was Elfyn’s 50th career WRC podium and consolidates his championship lead at the midway point of the season.