Forecasted heavy rain and limited experience on wet asphalt with this year’s tyres will render the final day of Rally Japan a “lottery”, according to World Rally Championship leader Elfyn Evans.
Since the start of the week, teams have been expecting rain showers on Sunday to add an extra curveball in what could prove to be a pivotal day in determining the outcome of this year’s title race.
Japan’s asphalt roads in the wet are known to be particularly tricky with that challenge set to be heightened by the fact that the majority of crews have limited experience driving Hankook’s wet tyres in full wet conditions.
Evans will head into the final six stages, where a further 10 bonus points are on offer, sitting second, 6.5s behind Toyota team-mate and title rival Sebastien Ogier. Both drivers are desperate to score as many points as possible and head into the inaugural Rally Saudi Arabia season finale in the best possible position.
Looking ahead to Sunday, Evans feels the predicted rain will create a scenario where anything could happen.
Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photo by: Toyota
“It will be a bit of a lottery I guess here when it rains. We have to take a bit of a guess with the car [set up] also to know where we push ourselves,” Evans told Motorsport.com. “We don’t have so much experience with the car that we are using here, and it is quite different to the last time we drove in the rain, so we have to see what it is like.”
For Ogier, the points on offer carry a greater importance given he entered the rally 13 points behind Evans. The eight-time world champion does have some experience driving in full wet asphalt, but is expecting Sunday to be a challenge, admitting the Hankook tyres are “pretty weak” in such conditions.
“Tomorrow is money time, like we say, and that is the day where we have to be on it all day. The win is in play but also the Super Sunday points are also counting,” Ogier told Motorsport.com.
“We will have to deal with it [the rain] and it will not be the most enjoyable thing on these roads and with these tyres, but again it is the same for everybody and let’s hope it is not too bad. I hope we can have a good day and there is not too many issues for anybody as we know that these tyres are pretty weak.”
The weather could play into the hands of title contender Kalle Rovanpera, who could stand to gain the most if his rivals hit trouble. The Finn started the weekend 13 points adrift of Evans, but his title hopes suffered a setback when he hit a barrier in stage three and damaged his GR Yaris’s left rear suspension.
Rovanpera has since recovered from 17th to seventh, but will lose ground in the title race to his rivals as it stands.
“Obviously tomorrow looks to be interesting with the rain. It will be open for everybody in terms of Sunday points,” said Rovanpera.
“Here when it rains it is super tricky and I don’t have full rain experience with this year’s tyres, so it can be tricky.
“We will try to get everything we can as it is an important day for the championship. It is also my last day in the rally car on tarmac so I hope to enjoy and have some fun.”
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