P1racenews AI automatic summary:
WRC Japan: Evans extends lead, as Katsuta continues charge
On Sunday morning, the Toyota driver increased his lead over his teammate Sebastien Ogier by 9.6 seconds, making his overall lead 1 minute and 24.6 seconds. Kalle Rovanpera kept Toyota’s hopes for a podium finish alive by ending the loop in third place, 1 minute and 53.1 seconds behind the leader. The battle for fourth place is still undecided, with Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi currently 16.2 seconds ahead of a charging Toyota driven by Takamoto Katsuta. The day started with challenging wet and slippery roads, with the threat of snow in the air. Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville set the fastest time in the first test of the day, with Katsuta close behind. However, Katsuta had a wild slide towards the end of the test but managed to survive. Tanak, who was in fifth place, also had a half spin in the same corner. Evans, the rally leader, continued to push and extended his lead over Ogier. The following stage was the most difficult of the rally due to low grip. Katsuta continued to close the gap to Tanak, who acknowledged that he had nothing to fight against Katsuta’s charge. Evans pushed again and further extended his advantage over Ogier. Lappi struggled to find speed in the wet conditions but held onto his fourth-place position, although Katsuta was closing in. Katsuta enhanced his chances of claiming fourth place by winning another stage.
