After years of near-misses and five runner-up finishes, Thierry Neuville finally claimed his first FIA World Rally Championship drivers' title at Rally Japan, while Toyota Gazoo Racing secured the manufacturers' crown in a thrilling season finale.

Neuville secured the championship when teammate Ott Tanak crashed out of the rally lead on Sunday's opening stage. The Belgian, who led the standings since his Monte Carlo Rally victory in January, finished sixth overall despite battling back from 15th place after Friday's turbocharger failure.

Toyota clinched the manufacturers' title by just three points over Hyundai - the closest margin since 1983 - thanks to strong performances from Sebastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans, and Takamoto Katsuta on the final Power Stage.

Evans inherited the rally win after Tanak's retirement, securing second place in the drivers' championship for the fourth time. Ogier finished second, 1m27.3s behind, while Adrien Fourmaux completed the podium in his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1.

In WRC2, Sami Pajari and co-driver Enni Malkonen won the 2024 title with a second-place finish in Japan, marking a championship-winning debut season for Toyota's GR Yaris Rally2.

Final Rally Japan Results:

1. Evans/Martin (Toyota) 3h23m41.0s
2. Ogier/Landais (Toyota) +1m27.3s
3. Fourmaux/Coria (Ford) +1m55.5s

Final 2024 WRC Drivers' Championship:

1. Neuville 242 points
2. Evans 210
3. Tanak 200

Final 2024 WRC Manufacturers' Championship:

1. Toyota Gazoo Racing 561 points
2. Hyundai Motorsport 558
3. M-Sport Ford 295

The 2025 WRC season will feature an expanded 14-round calendar, including new events in Saudi Arabia, Paraguay, and Spain's Canary Isles, starting with the Monte Carlo Rally on January 23-26.

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