P1racenews AI automatic summary:
WRC Japan: Neuville gives Hyundai early lead with super special stage win
The Hyundai driver, Thierry Neuville, set the fastest time on the 2.10km side-by-side super special stage at the Toyota Stadium. He beat two-time world champion Kalle Rovanpera by 4.0s, with Rovanpera finishing in sixth place. Rovanpera expressed his disappointment with their performance on the stage. Hyundai has a 1-2 lead going into Friday, with Esapekka Lappi finishing 0.7s behind Neuville. Ott Tanak is in third place, ahead of home hero Takamoto Katsuta. Dani Sordo secured fourth place, while Elfyn Evans finished as the slowest in the Rally1 field. Adrien Fourmaux had a trouble-free return, finishing in seventh place, and Nikolay Gryazin rounded out the top 10. The rally is set to face challenging conditions with rain and leaves on the roads on Friday.
