Event organisers have today revealed that an all-new head-to-head asphalt stage will be built within the 45,000 capacity Toyota Stadium in the Aichi region of Japan.
The new stage will become part of the rally schedule with the field set to tackle it once a day from Thursday through to Saturday in front of a packed crowd.
Toyota Stadium hosted the event’s ceremonial start and finish last year, while the confines of the area acted as the rally's service park. This will continue for this year’s event that takes place from 16-19 November.
The move to create this new head-to-head spectator stage for WRC’s trip to Japan this year follows the successful return of the stadium superspecial at last year’s Acropolis Rally in Greece. A crowd in the region of 65,000 witnessed cars engage in a head-to-head battle inside the Athens Olympic Stadium to kick off the event.
Rally Japan organisers have also confirmed that fans will be able to purchase special tickets that will allow them to be able to walk the course before the cars tackle the stage. This year’s rally will be contested over 22 asphalt stages.
Japan returned to the WRC calendar after a 12-year hiatus last year. Thierry Neuville claimed victory in a 1-2 for Hyundai ahead of Ott Tanak in his final appearance for the marque before joining M-Sport Ford for 2023.
