Title-chasing Evans makes cautious start at Rally Japan

Championship leader Elfyn Evans lost out to title rivals Kalle Rovanpera and Sebastien Ogier in Thursday's first stage of Rally Japan as the Welshman looks to clinch his first world crown.

Evans leads his Toyota teammates Rovanpera and Ogier by 13 points each in the overall standings heading into the penultimate rally of the season and can wrap up the title if he outscores both by 23 points.

If not, the championship will be decided at the season-ending Rally Saudi Arabia later this month.

Evans got his title bid off to a cautious start as he clocked the sixth-fastest time in the opening super special stage behind Finland's Rovanpera, who was first.

France's Ogier, who is challenging for a record-equalling ninth world title, was fourth behind second-place Ott Tanak of Estonia and third-place Takamoto Katsuta of Japan.

Evans, a four-time championship runner-up, said he and co-driver Scott Martin were "just trying to do the best we can".

"It wasn't the cleanest run in there with the grip changing," said the 36-year-old. "You expect it to be so much better everywhere but there were still some tricky places."

The opening stage took the drivers through a twisting 2.75-kilometre asphalt course.

Rovanpera, a double world champion, said he was not satisfied despite finishing on top of the timesheets, 0.1 seconds ahead of Tanak.

"It wasn't the best feeling today on this short stage with the car," said Rovanpera, who won last month's Central European Rally. "Hopefully it gets better tomorrow with a bit more open roads."