WRC FORUM8 Rally Japan 2025, Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais

WRC Rally Japan 2026

Japan

Japan

28 – 31 May 2026

Watch live at Rally.TV

28

May

31

May

Part of event series

WRC 2026

The 2026 FIA World Rally Championship Season includes 14 Events on 4 Continents.

14 Tour Stops

Based in the Aichi and Gifu prefectures, with service in Toyota City, the event trades traditional flowing asphalt for something much more demanding. Stages are narrow and twisty, often lined by barriers, drop-offs or dense trees. It’s a rally of millimetres, where the difference between commitment and catastrophe is razor-thin.

Since its WRC return in 2022, Japan has reasserted itself as a unique and punishing test – a place where championship campaigns can rise or unravel in the blink of an eye.

Summary

  1. 1
    Key Facts
  2. 2
    About the Rally
  3. 3
    The Challenge
  4. 4
    Did you know?
  5. 5
    Entry List
  6. 6
    Itinerary
  7. 7
    Follow the Rally
01

Key Facts

DATE

06 - 09 NOVEMBER 2025

Service Park

Toyota City

Entry list

Download PDF

Stages

20 (305,34 km)

Surface

Tarmac

Itinerary

Info

Map

Download PDF

Website

www.rally-japan.jp

Tickets

Info & Order at rally-japan.jp

Hashtag

#RallyJapan

Watch the rally

Live Stream / TV Guide

02

About the Rally

Based in the Aichi and Gifu prefectures, with service in Toyota City, the event trades traditional flowing asphalt for something much more demanding. Stages are narrow and twisty, often lined by barriers, drop-offs or dense trees. It’s a rally of millimetres, where the difference between commitment and catastrophe is razor-thin.
Since its WRC return in 2022, Japan has reasserted itself as a unique and punishing late-season test – a place where championship campaigns can rise or unravel in the blink of an eye.
03

The Challenge

FORUM8 Rally Japan is about precision, patience, and managing pressure. The roads wind through mountainous terrain with very few straights – just corner after corner, with constantly changing grip and visibility challenges from fog, fallen leaves, and damp patches.
There’s little margin for correction. Get your line wrong, and you’ll either clip a barrier or slide off into the forest. Punctures are common from sharp cuts, and the narrow profile makes recovering from an error incredibly difficult.
It’s a rally where every second counts – and where a clean run can be more valuable than outright pace.
04

Did you know?

  • Rally Japan originally ran as a gravel event from 2004 to 2010 before returning to the WRC calendar in 2022 as a pure asphalt challenge.
  • The rally is based in Toyota City – the home of WRC manufacturer team Toyota GAZOO Racing.
  • Japan’s mountain asphalt is among the narrowest and most technical of any WRC event.
  • Fan enthusiasm is huge – with sold-out stages, televised specials, and widespread national coverage.
  • In 2024, Ott Tänak crashed on the final morning - handing the drivers' title to his team-mate Thierry Neuville.
05

Entry List

Count

No.

Competitor

Driver / Co-Driver

Nat

Car

Class Group

Priority Eligibility in WRC

Eligibility in APRC

1

17

TOYOTA GAZOO RACING WRT

Sébastien OGIER Vincent LANDAIS

FRA FRA

TOYOTA GR Yaris Rally1

RC1 Rally1

P1 M

2

33

TOYOTA GAZOO RACING WRT

Elfyn EVANS Scott MARTIN

GBR GBR

TOYOTA GR Yaris Rally1

RC1 Rally1

P1 M

3

69

TOYOTA GAZOO RACING WRT

Kalle ROVANPERÄ Jonne HALTTUNEN

FIN FIN

TOYOTA GR Yaris Rally1

RC1 Rally1

P1 M

4

8

HYUNDAI SHELL MOBIS WORLD RALLY TEAM

Ott TÄNAK Martin JÄRVEOJA

EST EST

HYUNDAI i20 N Rally1

RC1 Rally1

P1

5

1

HYUNDAI SHELL MOBIS WORLD RALLY TEAM

Thierry NEUVILLE Martijn WYDAEGHE

BEL BEL

HYUNDAI i20 N Rally1

RC1 Rally1

P1 M

6

18

TOYOTA GAZOO RACING WRT

Takamoto KATSUTA Aaron JOHNSTON

JPN IRL

TOYOTA GR Yaris Rally1

RC1 Rally1

P1

7

16

HYUNDAI SHELL MOBIS WORLD RALLY TEAM

Adrien FOURMAUX Alexandre CORIA

FRA FRA

HYUNDAI i20 N Rally1

RC1 Rally1

P1 M

8

5

TOYOTA GAZOO RACING WRT2

Sami PAJARI Marko SALMINEN

FIN FIN

TOYOTA GR Yaris Rally1

RC1 Rally1

P1 M/T

9

13

M-SPORT FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM

Grégoire MUNSTER Louis LOUKA

LUX BEL

FORD Puma Rally1

RC1 Rally1

P1 M

10

55

M-SPORT FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM

Joshua MCERLEAN Eoin TREACY

IRL IRL

FORD Puma Rally1

RC1 Rally1

P1 M

11

20

PRINTSPORT

Oliver SOLBERG Elliott EDMONDSON

SWE GBR

TOYOTA GR Yaris

RC2 Rally2

P2

12

21

GUS GREENSMITH

Gus GREENSMITH Jonas ANDERSSON

GBR SWE

SKODA Fabia RS

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (D/C)

13

22

PH.PH

Jan SOLANS Rodrigo SANJUAN

ESP ESP

TOYOTA GR Yaris

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (DC/CC)

14

23

TOKSPORT WRT

Nikolay GRYAZIN Konstantin ALEKSANDROV

BUL KGZ

SKODA Fabia RS

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (DC/CC)

15

24

TOYOTA ESPAÑA

Alejandro CACHÓN Borja ROZADA

ESP ESP

TOYOTA GR Yaris

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (DC/CC)

16

25

TOYOTA GAZOO RACING WRT NG

Yuki YAMAMOTO James FULTON

JPN IRL

TOYOTA GR Yaris

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (DC/CC)

17

26

DIEGO DOMÍNGUEZ

Diego DOMÍNGUEZ Rogelio PEÑATE

PAR ESP

TOYOTA GR Yaris

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (DC/CC)

18

27

R2RX YAHAGI RACING TEAM

Hiroki ARAI Hiroki TACHIKUI

JPN JPN

SKODA Fabia

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (DC/CC)

AP

19

28

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN

Heikki KOVALAINEN Sae KITAGAWA

FIN JPN

TOYOTA GR Yaris

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (DC/CC)

20

29

NORIHIKO KATSUTA

Norihiko KATSUTA Takahiro YASUI

JPN JPN

TOYOTA GR Yaris

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (DCM/CC)

AP (M)

21

30

TAKUMA KAMADA

Takuma KAMADA Yuichi MATSUMOTO

JPN JPN

SKODA Fabia

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (DCM/CC)

AP (M)

22

31

FUMIO NUTAHARA

Fumio NUTAHARA Shungo AZUMA

JPN JPN

TOYOTA GR Yaris

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (DCM/CC)

AP (M)

23

32

OSAMU FUKUNAGA

Osamu FUKUNAGA Misako SAIDA

JPN JPN

SKODA Fabia RS

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (DCM/CC)

AP (M)

24

34

SATOSHI IMAI

Satoshi IMAI Fuyu TAKAHASHI

JPN JPN

CITROEN C3

RC2 Rally2

P2 WRC2 (DCM/CC)

25

35

MATTEO FONTANA

Matteo FONTANA Alessandro ARNABOLDI

ITA ITA

FORD Fiesta Rally3

RC3 Rally3

P3 WRC3

26

36

GHJUVANNI ROSSI

Ghjuvanni ROSSI Kylian SARMEZAN

FRA FRA

FORD Fiesta Rally3

RC3 Rally3

P3 WRC3

27

37

GEORGIOS VASILAKIS

Georgios VASILAKIS Allan HARRYMAN

GRE IRL

FORD Fiesta Rally3

RC3 Rally3

P3 WRC3 (DM/CM)

28

38

ERIC ROYÈRE

Eric ROYÈRE Alexis GRENIER

FRA FRA

FORD Fiesta Rally3

RC3 Rally3

P3 WRC3

29

39

GAURAV GILL

Gaurav GILL Florian BARRAL

IND FRA

SKODA Fabia Evo

RC2 Rally2

AP

30

40

ARMAND FUMAL

Armand FUMAL Jules ESCARTEFIGUE

BEL FRA

ALPINE A110

RGT RGT

(DM)

31

41

K-ONE RACING TEAM

Yuta YAMAMOTO Kazuko TACHIKUI

JPN JPN

TOYOTA 86

JR2 NAT

32

42

TEAM BRIDE

Yasuyuki SASAKI Sonomi UCHIDA

JPN JPN

TOYOTA GR Yaris

JR1 NAT

33

43

MUSCLE RALLY

Yasuo KUSAKABE Hisatsugu OKUMURA

JPN JPN

TOYOTA Yaris

JR3 NAT

34

44

PHILIPOSS MATTHAI

Philiposs MATTHAI Ashwin NAIK

IND IND

FORD Fiesta Rally3

RC3 Rally3

AP3

35

45

KEIJI SEITA

Keiji SEITA Takuya BEPPU

JPN JPN

HONDA Civic

JR2 NAT

36

46

D-SPORT RACING

Taisuke AIHARA Azumi UEHARA

JPN JPN

DAIHATSU Copen

JR2 NAT

37

47

LSCR RALLY TEAM

Tohru NAKAYAMA Toshiro MATSUURA

JPN JPN

TOYOTA GR Yaris

JR1 NAT

38

48

SHUNICHI WASHIO

Shunichi WASHIO Michiko KASUGA

JPN JPN

TOYOTA Vitz

RC5 Rally5 / R1

Approved by the FIA 14.10.2025

06

Itinerary

All times UTC+9

07

Follow the Rally

Every stage is live and on demand at Rally.TV – including all onboard cameras and expert analysis.
WRC Backstories: Timo Rautiainen
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