Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville could finally have his crowning moment at this weekend’s 2024 World Rally Championship season finale in Japan.
The five-time runner-up, who is chasing a maiden title, leads his team-mate Ott Tanak by 25 points with 30 available and they are the only two drivers in contention for the championship.
Neuville is also a previous winner of Rally Japan having taken victory there when it returned to the WRC calendar in 2022, so he looks set to win the championship.
His title fight has been built on consistency, having finished just two of the 12 rallies outside of the top five while Tanak has been very up-and-down in 2024.
The 2019 world champion has won two rallies like Neuville, including Central Europe last time out, but also has three non-scores with an additional finish outside of the top five in Kenya where Tanak came eighth.
Consistent competition failed to materialise elsewhere as reigning champion Kalle Rovanpera and Sebastien Ogier have won the most rallies - four and three respectively - but only fought partial campaigns.
Elfyn Evans meanwhile, although last year’s runner-up has scored six podiums the Toyota driver is also yet to win this year, so sits third in the championship, 40 points behind Neuville.
The manufacturers’ title will also be decided this weekend, where Hyundai leads defending champions Toyota by just 15 points despite the Japanese marque having won two more rallies.
But Hyundai has claimed a double points finish at every round, while M-Sport sits bottom of the championship as the Ford squad has contested most of the season with just two cars compared to three for its rivals.
The WRC2 title is on the line as well. Oliver Solberg (Skoda) currently leads the standings but will skip Japan having completed his seven points scoring events, meaning if Sami Pajari (Toyota) finishes first or second the Finn will claim the title.
