VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF DAY ONE OF RALLY JAPAN - THE 13TH ROUND OF THE WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP SHOWS: VARIOUS, JAPAN (NOVEMBER 6, 2025) (WRC PROMOTER GMBH - See restrictions) 1. CEREMONIAL START SHOTS 2. VARIOUS OF TAKAMOTO KATSUTA OF TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 3. VARIOUS OF OTT TANAK OF HYUNDAI SHELL MOBIS 4. VARIOUS OF KALLE ROVANPERA OF TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 5. VARIOUS OF SEBASTIEN OGIER OF TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 6. VARIOUS OF ELFYN EVANS OF TOYOTA GAZOO RACING STORY: Kalle Rovanpera, driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, claimed victory in Rally Japan's opening stage on Thursday (November 6) while Ott Tanak of Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT finished second, keeping his faint World Rally Championship (WRC) title hopes alive in the penultimate round of the 2025 season. Rovanpera edged past Tanak by just 0.1 seconds in the Hyundai i20. Earlier, Tanak had ranked fifth in the shakedown session. Tanak, fourth in the drivers' standings with 197 points, trails Toyota's Elfyn Evans (247 points), Sebastien Ogier, and Rovanpera (both tied at 234 points). With the championship leader Evans holding a significant advantage, Tanak's chances of clinching a second career title remain slim, requiring an extraordinary turn of events. Despite the odds, Tanak remains in contention. Under WRC rules, he and co-driver Martin Jarveoja are competing independently, as their points will not contribute to Hyundai's total, with Toyota already securing the manufacturers' title. This rule quirk enables the Estonian pair to make engine changes without incurring penalties. (Production: Suramya Kaushik) (The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)
