Solberg cuts Evans' lead during Saturday morning in Japan
Oliver Solberg narrowed the deficit to rally leader Elfyn Evans during a competitive Saturday morning loop at Rally Japan. Starting the day with a 15.7-second cushion, Evans saw his lead shrink after Solberg claimed stage wins on the opening Obara test and the final Mt. Kasagi run. Despite a minor navigational error on the first stage, Solberg maintained a consistent pace, ultimately heading to the mid-leg service with the gap trimmed to 10.6 seconds.
Evans, who struggled with a loose setup in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 during the final morning stage, managed to extend his margin slightly on the Ena test through superior tyre management. Meanwhile, Sébastien Ogier holds third overall, though the Frenchman struggled to match Solberg's speed. Sami Pajari remains fourth, rounding out a strong collective showing for Toyota.
Further down the order, Takamoto Katsuta showed improved form to climb into fifth place ahead of Adrien Fourmaux. It was a difficult morning for Hyundai, as Thierry Neuville dropped to seventh due to persistent balance issues and a handbrake failure on Mt. Kasagi. Nikolay Gryazin now leads the WRC2 category after overcoming Alejandro Cachón throughout the morning stages.
