The FIA World Rally Championship title hangs in the balance as Ott Tanak leads Rally Japan, while championship leader Thierry Neuville faces significant setbacks after day one.

Tanak and Neuville dominated early stages with a Hyundai 1-2 finish, but Neuville's championship hopes took a severe blow when his i20 N Rally1 developed turbo pressure issues. With no midday service available, Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe struggled through five asphalt stages, losing over seven minutes and dropping to 15th place overall.

Tanak showcased exceptional skill on the challenging leaf-covered mountain roads, building a 20.9-second overnight lead over Toyota's Elfyn Evans. The Estonian's performance proves crucial for Hyundai's manufacturer championship battle against Toyota Gazoo Racing, especially after Andreas Mikkelsen's crash.

M-Sport Ford's Adrien Fourmaux holds third place, just 0.1 seconds ahead of local favorite Takamoto Katsuta. Eight-time WRC champion Sebastien Ogier sits fifth after losing nearly two minutes to a wheel change, with Gregoire Munster's Ford Puma rounding out the Rally1 points positions in sixth.

In WRC2, Nikolay Gryazin leads convincingly, while Sami Pajari maintains second place – a position that would secure him the WRC2 title if held through Sunday.

Current Standings after Leg One (SS9):

1. Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai) 1h26m17.6s
2. Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota) +20.9s
3. Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Ford) +1m53.9s
4. Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota) +1m54.0s
5. Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota) +2m15.6s

Saturday's leg features six stages on asphalt, concluding with the Toyota Stadium super special.

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