Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka claimed a strong fifth-overall result, after delivering a steady and focused drive throughout.
Munster improved his pace throughout Friday after early set-up struggles on the unique Japanese asphalt, but changes during Friday’s remote tyre-fitting zone helped build confidence, and by keeping clear of trouble they climbed the leaderboard as other crews hit problems. The pair ended Saturday in sixth place and moved into fifth on Sunday morning, maintaining the gap behind to finish the rally fifth overall, once again matching their best WRC result to-date.
Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy’s rally came to an early end on Friday after going wide on SS3 and taking a heavy impact with the trees. Both were taken for precautionary checks and were cleared shortly after, but the damage to the car prevented the crew from continuing the event.
M-Sport now looks ahead to the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship season on the inaugural Rally Saudi Arabia.
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Principal, Richard Millener, said:
"Rally Japan is always a tough event, and this year was no exception. We’re pleased to come away with a solid result with Grégoire and Louis - they stayed calm, avoided unnecessary risks and brought the car home, which was the priority in conditions like these. Of course, we’re disappointed for Josh and Eoin; the most important thing is that they are both okay after the incident on Friday. As a team, we can be happy with a solid result and we will look to carry that positivity and momentum into the final round."
Grégoire Munster, Fifth Overall, said:
"I’m happy with a top-five finish in Japan. We didn’t start the rally as we had hoped, but the team worked hard on Friday and Saturday to find solutions and get the car into a much better working window. Sunday brought really tricky conditions with the rain, and it was our first time running the Hankook wet tyres. It wasn’t an easy mission, as we had to fight to hold onto fifth with Kalle behind us - finding the right balance to push without making a mistake. Overall, we’re happy to bring a top-five result home after a difficult season, and it’s a strong reward for the team’s efforts."
Josh McErlean, Retired Friday, said:
"It’s really disappointing to end our rally like that. We ran wide and had a big shunt on SS3, but the main thing is that we’re both OK. It’s not the result we wanted after all the effort to get here by the team and our supporters, but we’ll regroup and come back stronger for the exciting challenge of Saudi."
