The FIA World Rally Championship title hangs in the balance as Ott Tanak leads Rally Japan, while championship leader Thierry Neuville faces significant challenges after a troublesome Friday.

Tanak and Neuville initially dominated with a Hyundai 1-2 start, but Neuville's championship hopes were compromised when his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 developed turbo pressure issues on stage three. With no midday service available, Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe lost over seven minutes, dropping to 15th overall.

Tanak showcased exceptional performance on the slippery mountain roads around Aichi, building a 20.9-second overnight lead over Toyota's Elfyn Evans. The Estonian's strong showing proves crucial for Hyundai's manufacturer championship battle against Toyota Gazoo Racing, especially after Andreas Mikkelsen's crash on stage four.

Adrien Fourmaux holds third place in his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1, narrowly leading local favorite Takamoto Katsuta by just one-tenth of a second. Eight-time WRC champion Sebastien Ogier sits fifth after losing nearly two minutes to a wheel change, while Gregoire Munster rounds out the Rally1 cars in sixth.

In WRC2, Nikolay Gryazin leads convincingly, but Sami Pajari's second place puts him in prime position to secure the WRC2 title.

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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