Preview: Rally Japan.

Wednesday, 28th September 2005

The WRC heads to the Far East this coming weekend for the second running of Rally Japan - the 13th round out of sixteen in the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship.

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The WRC heads to the Far East this coming weekend for the second running of Rally Japan - the 13th round out of sixteen in the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship.

Japan will also play host to the seventh round in the 2005 FIA Production WRC.

The event comprises 350.18 competitive kilometres and 26 stages - one less than the inaugural event in 2004. The longest stage will be waiting for the crews on the opening day of the event, with the Kunneywa-Niueo stage measuring 50.06km while the head-to-head Super Special at Satsunai is the shortest stage of the rally at 2.1km.

Special notes:

First run in 2001 as the Hokkaido Rally, Rally Japan joined Rally Mexico and Rally Italia Sardinia as a new event on the WRC calendar last year.

The majority of Special Stages will be to the northeast of Obihiro, the host city, with a number of new stages closer to the Service Park introduced for this season to reduce the travelling time between stages for the crews.

The ratio of harder surface, wide country roads to narrow forestry ones has also been increased, with one of the new stages – Sipirkakim – combining elements of both.

Weather conditions are expected to be mixed, which could make tyre choice even more difficult than normal.

FIA World Rally Championship news:

The death of Michael Park on Wales Rally GB and the decision by Peugeot to withdraw Marcus Gronholm from the event would have seen Sebastien Loeb crowned as 2005 World Rally Champion had the Frenchman not taken a penalty to avoid securing the title under such tragic circumstances.

However Loeb only needs to finish on the podium in Japan this weekend to retain his title, even if closest rival Petter Solberg can repeat his victory of 2004. Should Marcus Gronholm fail to win, and Solberg fail to finish higher than fifth, then Loeb will be champion regardless of his finishing position.

Loeb currently leads Solberg by 34 points with four rounds of the WRC left to run, including Rally Japan, while Gronholm is a further four points behind in third.

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