Thierry Neuville wasted no time in challenging Toyota Gazoo Racing on their home turf, claiming victory on FORUM8 Rally Japan’s opening stage to lead on Thursday night.

Hyundai’s i20 N Rally1 cars asserted their dominance on the curtain-raising super special stage inside Toyota City Stadium. Neuville led the charge, with team-mates Esapekka Lappi and Dani Sordo securing the second and fourth positions respectively.

In stark contrast, Toyota's fleet struggled to find its rhythm on the tight and technical opener, with Takamoto Katsuta emerging as the highest-placed GR Yaris driver in fifth.

Neuville, locked in a battle for second place in the drivers’ championship against Dolgellau's Elfyn Evans, narrowly edged out Lappi by seven-tenths of a second while Ott Tänak, piloting an M-Sport Ford Puma, trailed Neuville by 1.4 seconds to round out the early podium.

The Belgian, who also topped the shakedown, expressed confidence by saying: “There are no questions from our side. It’s just about enjoyment and trying to go for another victory. That's what we want to do this weekend, but it won't be easy at all—and it might be even more challenging than two weeks ago in the Central European Rally after the road conditions we have seen during recce.”

Katsuta headed sixth-placed Rovanperä, fresh from his second WRC title just a fortnight ago. Puma returnee Adrien Fourmaux followed closely while Toyota duo Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans found themselves almost five seconds adrift of the lead in eighth and ninth.