Ott Tänak and his co-driver, Martin Järveoja, were involved in an accident when their Hyundai skidded off the road in a right-hand corner due to debris scattered on the track. The car struck the roadside, lifted into the air and landed in a ditch, bringing the Estonians' rally and season to an abrupt end.

"It caught us by surprise – there was a lot of mud and understeer. We simply went off the road," Tänak said. "A complete disaster. There's no other way to describe it; it's hard to put the situation into words."

In the same corner, Finnish WRC2 driver Heikki Kovalainen also slid off the road later in the race.

Tänak's misfortune secured 36-year-old Thierry Neuville his first WRC championship title, as the Estonian was the only driver still in contention for the title on the final day of the season.

"I don't know what to say. We deserve this victory," Neuville said. "It's been a challenging year, and we faced significant pressure during the final stage. We handled it well, especially considering all the issues we encountered here."

Elfyn Evans clinched the rally victory, marking his first win of the season. He was followed by Sébastien Ogier, who delivered a strong performance in the power stage, finishing +1:27.3 behind. Adrien Fourmaux (M-Sport Ford) completed the podium, trailing by +1:55.6.

The top six was rounded out by Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota, +2:02.6), Grégoire Munster (M-Sport Ford, +3:11.5) and newly crowned champion Thierry Neuville (Hyundai, +6:54.1).

Neuville finished the season with a total of 242 points, securing the championship. Elfyn Evans (Toyota) claimed second place with 210 points. Ott Tänak, who entered the Japan rally with 200 points, dropped to third due to his retirement, while Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) finished nine points behind Tänak.

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