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Title-chasing Evans cuts gap on Ogier at Rally Japan / Photo: © AFP
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Title-chasing Evans cuts gap on Ogier at Rally Japan
Championship-chasing Elfyn Evans cut the gap on Rally Japan leader Sebastien Ogier after Saturday's third day to leave the world title race poised on a knife edge.
Welshman Evans started the day 10.2 seconds behind France's Ogier but he ended it 6.5sec off the pace after a day of hard-charging action in the penultimate rally of the season.
Evans arrived in Japan with a 13-point lead in the overall standings over his Toyota team-mates Ogier and Kalle Rovanpera.
He can wrap up his first world title on Sunday if he outscores both by 23 points but that now looks unlikely with Ogier leading the rally heading into the final day.
That means the championship is likely to be decided at the season-ending Rally Saudi Arabia later this month, with every point earned in Japan crucial.
"Overall it's been a good day, we could be happy with most of it," said Evans. "Just the last two stages where we didn't do quite as well as we would have liked but on the whole it's been a good day.
"We're here to score as many points as we can and of course we have to try and keep fighting," he added.
Evans moved from third to second after Japan's Takamoto Katsuta hit a barrier and damaged his power steering to tumble out of contention.
Evans, a four-time world championship runner-up, ratcheted up the pressure on Ogier by winning two of the day's first four stages and moving 1.4sec behind the leader.
But Ogier, who is looking for a record-equalling ninth world title, hit back by winning the day's final three stages to edge further back in front.
"It's not easy to create gaps," said the Frenchman.
"At least we did better this afternoon but I could have done better this morning."
Finland's Rovanpera was 6min 27.9sec behind Ogier after a shunt on the second day put a serious dent in his chances of winning a third world title.
Conditions have been dry and sunny so far on the twisting, leaf-strewn asphalt roads of the Japanese course.
But rain is forecast for Sunday, throwing a potential spanner in the works for the final six stages.
"We haven't had big rain this year so I don't think we know what to expect," said Rovanpera. "It will be a tricky day, I think."
Belgium's Thierry Neuville, the reigning world champion, retired from the race with a mechanical problem.
R.Baker--SFF
