WRC Rally Round 13 – Rally Japan
Hyundai Motorsport journeys to Rally Japan, the final round of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), with hopes of ending the inaugural season of the hybrid era on a positive note. In its debut year, the new Hyundai i20 N Rally1 has delivered the team four wins and 14 podiums so far.
Having been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rally Japan finally returns to the WRC calendar this season following an 11-year hiatus from the series. This will be the Alzenau-based outfit’s first trip to the Asian event, as the last running of the rally predates Hyundai Motorsport’s arrival in WRC.
Another first at this year’s Rally Japan will be the surface, with the event shifting to smooth tarmac roads from the gravel tracks of previous editions. The rally headquarters have also found a new home for 2022 close to Nagoya, the nation’s fourth largest city. The fresh itinerary presents a daunting and uncertain challenge for the crews, who will have to get up to speed quickly in order to put themselves in contention for victory.
Another first at this year’s Rally Japan will be the surface, with the event shifting to smooth tarmac roads from the gravel tracks of previous editions. The rally headquarters have also found a new home for 2022 close to Nagoya, the nation’s fourth largest city. The fresh itinerary presents a daunting and uncertain challenge for the crews, who will have to get up to speed quickly in order to put themselves in contention for victory.
This will be the target for the squads in the Hyundai Motorsport line-up, as all three have visited the podium on multiple occasions this year in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1. At the previous round, Rally de España, Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe powered their way onto the top-three, finishing in second position overall. Fourth and fifth-place finishes for Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja and Dani Sordo/Cándido Carrera completed a solid weekend. However, the crews will be looking to produce improved results next weekend on the Japanese roads to positively conclude what has been an up-and-down season for the team.
The new-look Rally Japan kicks off on Thursday evening with SS1 in Kuragaike Park. Friday’s schedule is far more extensive, consisting of two loops with a total distance of over 130km, making it the longest day of the event. The crews will take on a further sevens stages on Saturday before the rally comes to a close on Sunday with five final tests.
Deputy Team Director Julien Moncet said: “We always expected this season to be difficult, as this is often the case when new regulations are introduced. Of course we wanted to win the title, but I think we must still be pleased with our performance this year with our new Hyundai i20 N Rally1. It has brought us four victories, our joint-most in a single season, and has demonstrated pace on every surface. Our target that our crews can get the best out of the car again in Japan and end the year in a strong and positive fashion. A fifth win would be an excellent way to conclude 2022 and could be the spark for a better season in 2023.”
Crew notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
- Crew aiming to secure second place in standings in their last event with the team
- Estonians have won three events in 2022
Tänak said: “Rally Japan is going to be a challenging one for us because it’s a new event, so I personally don’t have too much information on what to expect, but we will gather all the info we have available with the recce and prepare for it as much as possible. After three years with Hyundai Motorsport, this is going to be my last one with them, so I hope that we can find a good feeling on the roads and finish the season and our partnership on a high note.”
Crew notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#11 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
- Belgians finished second at previous round, Rally de España
- Duo searching for fifth podium of the year
Neuville said: “New country, new rally, new adventure. Other than knowing it will be tarmac stages we have no clue what is waiting for us. This obviously makes it a bit more difficult to prepare but most of the time I have done better when the rally is new than when it is one I have done before. We always want to finish in the highest place possible at the end of the season, as it gives you a nice feeling going into the winter break and helps motivate you for the next year. So the target will be to give the best of ourselves, get the most out of the car, and then see where we end up.”
Crew notes: Dani Sordo/Cándido Carrera (#6 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
- Sordo has competed in Japan before when it was a gravel event
- Spanish crew has taken three podiums this season
Sordo said: “I have rallied in Japan back when it was on gravel, but I am excited to try the new tarmac stages, which I have been told are very narrow and difficult. When you don’t know what to expect it is always more challenging, as all you can do to prepare for the stages is to watch videos. Once we are at the event, the recce and pace notes will be important to producing a good weekend. As always, our goal is to get on the podium at a minimum and deliver the best result possible for the team.”
WRC2 Overview
Following an excellent display at Rally de España, Teemu Suninen/Mikko Markkula and Fabrizio Zaldivar/Marcelo Der Ohannesian will conclude the WRC2 season in Japan. The Finns took an emphatic victory in Spain, the first of the year for the pair and the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car. They will be targeting another strong tarmac performance next weekend.
Zaldivar and Der Ohannesian also continued their run of top ten finishes in WRC2 at Rally de España, extending the streak to four consecutive rallies. The pair will hope to make it five in a row at Rally Japan.
Suninen said: “I had a taste of Rally Japan back in 2019 when I did the recce of the candidate event and I have been looking forward to coming back ever since. It is a unique rally with nice smooth tarmac, but it can be surprisingly slippery. There are many slow sections, which creates a big challenge for the drivers and the car has to be good in the slow corners. It’s going to be a fantastic experience to rally in Japan as the fans there are amazing.”
Zaldivar said: “I am happy with how we have performed this season and hope that we can finish the year with another good result. At each event I feel like I have learned more about the car and improved my feel and pace in it. I have never competed in Japan before, but I am really looking forward to it. I have also heard that the fans are very passionate, so hopefully we can put on a good show for them.”
Deputy Team Director Julien Moncet said: “After having their win in Finland taken away, it was great to see Teemu and Mikko back on the top step in Spain. They have got pace out of the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 all season, particularly on tarmac, so there is definitely a chance for another victory in Japan. As for Fabrizio, he has shown promise and progression at every rally this year. We are proud of how he has performed and hope he can finish well again next weekend.”
Weekend at a Glance
- Rally Japan begins on Thursday evening with 2.75km stage in Kuragaike Park
- Friday is the longest day of the event in terms of distance, with the two loops of stages totalling 130.22km
- The itinerary on Saturday consists of seven stages, including two passes of the super special Okazaki City (1.40km)
- Five stages, including the Asahi Kougen Power Stage (7.52km), bring the event to a close on Sunday.
