P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Elfyn Evans mastered rain-soaked conditions at FORUM8 Rally Japan to build a 26-second lead after Friday’s shortened morning loop –
The rally’s first full day was marred by relentless rain and leaf-covered roads, creating treacherous conditions for the drivers. The Shitara Town test had to be cancelled due to the adverse conditions, but not before Takamoto Katsuta, Dani Sordo, and Adrien Fourmaux all had accidents at the same location on SS2. Katsuta spun and hit a tree, damaging the radiator of his Toyota GR Yaris. Sordo slid his Hyundai i20 N down an embankment, while Fourmaux made a similar error. Thankfully, no one was injured, but the stage was stopped. Despite the challenging conditions, Evans maintained his lead but admitted the need for caution due to poor visibility. Ogier and Mikkelsen completed the podium, while Rovanperä, facing difficult conditions as the first car on the road, trailed in fifth place. In the WRC2 category, Gryazin held sixth and Tänak faced visibility issues, causing him to lose significant time.
