The two sections on Saturday were characterized by good weather and tracks with wider roads than those of the eve, with dirt asphalt sections that reduced grip and consequently tire wear.
As on the first day of competition, the hard compound P Zeros were the preferred choice of the WRC1 crews who opted for the same strategy both in the morning and in the afternoon, i.e. 5 hard tires.
The only exception is Thierry Neuville on Hyundai who came out in the second part of the day with four hard and one soft, which he mounted in the last special mixed asphalt and dirt, in which he imposed himself, consolidating his leadership in the provisional classification.
Emil Lindholm, Reeta Hämäläinen, Toksport WRT Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
The strategy in WRC2 was more varied in which Emil Lindholm on Skoda Fabia firmly took the lead in the standings, heavily mortgaging the victory of the season title.
Average speeds were generally lower than on Friday, with the exception of the 7.08km PS10 ‘Shinshiro’, won by Ott Tanak in Hyundai at 120.5km / h on average.
“Even today the hard bikes were the only possible choice, considering that we had dry tests and unusually high temperatures for Japan in the autumn,” said Terenzio Testoni, Pirelli’s rally manager.
Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Photo by: Toyota Racing
“The choice of a single spare even in the afternoon, when the risk of punctures was high due to the roads becoming much dirtier than in the morning, means two things: that the riders have maximum confidence in the strength and impact resistance of the tires and who preferred speed to the certainty of reaching the end of the section “.
“For tomorrow rain is expected even if it is certainly not the time of day in which it will fall and above all how much will fall. In theory, the riders can face tomorrow’s special stages with only soft tires, unless puddles form. . In this case the best choice is the mixed one with dry and wet tires together ”.
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