Rally Japan: Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crew aims for the WRC2 Challenger overall lead

› At the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship’s penultimate round, Nikolay Gryazin/ Konstantin Aleksandrov are among the favourites for WRC2 Challenger victory
› Also competing with a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, Gus Greensmith and co-driver Jonas Andersson chase a top result in the WRC2 category
› Three times FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Champion Gaurav Gill from India makes a return to the world series at the wheel of a Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo
› Three Japanese Škoda crews want to shine in front of their home crowd

Mladá Boleslav, 5 November 2025 – There are just two events left in the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship. And the fight for the WRC2 Challenger overall victory is still wide open. Of the three Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crews who could win this prestigious title, only Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov will compete in Rally Japan (6–9 November 2025). Three weeks before the season finale in Saudi Arabia, they could take the overall lead in the WRC2 Challenger drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings respectively.

Following Rally Islas Canarias and the recent Central European Rally, Rally Japan is the third round of this year’s FIA World Rally Championship to be held entirely on asphalt. Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov of Toksport WRT are fully committed to scoring maximum WRC2 Challenger points. Currently ranked third and second overall respectively in the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings, the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crew are well placed to win both titles.

The Bulgarian-Kyrgyz pairing’s entry also includes WRC2. “We won WRC2 at Rally Japan last year and came second in 2023. With the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, we have the right car to finish on the podium again. With our main rivals for the WRC2 Challenger titles not competing this time, we are definitely aiming to take the lead in the category,” emphasises Nikolay Gryazin. Both Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov are currently listed 13 points behind the respective leaders. A WRC2 Challenger victory in Japan would earn both of them another 25 points. Even a second-place finish, worth 17 points, would put them in the lead of the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings.

Four of their main rivals will not compete in Japan: Škoda crews Roberto Daprà/Luca Guglielmetti from Italy and Robert Virves/Jakko Viilo from Estonia skip the event. Also, current leaders Roope Korhonen/Anssi Viinikka and Kajetan Kajetanowicz/Maciej Szczepaniak are not on the entry list. According to the regulations, each of the top 6 of the WRC2 Challenger drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings can score at Rally Saudi Arabia. Therefore, both WRC2 Challenger titles will be decided at the season’s finale.

Moving on to the WRC2 category, Gus Greensmith and co-driver Jonas Andersson are aiming for their second win of the season. In March, the British-Swedish pair drove a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 of team RaceSeven to victory in the WRC2 category at the Safari Rally Kenya. Other Škoda crews to watch are Hiroki Arai/Hiroki Tachikui, Takuma Kamada/Yuichi Matsumoto and Osamu Fukunaga/Misako Saida, all from Japan. Back in the world series is Gaurav Gill from India. Not registered to score in WRC2, the 2013, 2016 and 2017 FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Champion shares a Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo with French co-driver Florian Barral.

The Forum8 Rally Japan, as the event is officially called, covers 20 special stages totalling 305.34 kilometres on winding, sometimes very narrow, asphalt roads. The event is based in Toyota City on Japan's main island of Honshu. The action kicks off on Thursday (6 November) with a 2.75-kilometre super stage inside Kuragaike Park. On Friday, competitors have to tackle six special stages totalling 108.30 kilometres. On Saturday, competitors face seven special stages totalling 121.91 kilometres. Sunday offers a further six stages totalling 72.38 kilometres. The winner is expected to be on the podium at 16h40 local time (8h40 CEST).

Did you know, that…

…the Rally Japan was already part of the FIA World Rally Championship from 2004 to 2010, albeit held in the north of the country on gravel stages?
...the current format of Rally Japan was established in 2022 with the service park located in Toyota City in Aichi Prefecture, a 300 kilometres road trip to the west of Tokyo?

Standings WRC2 Challenger/Drivers (after 12 of 14 rallies)
1 Roope Korhonen (FIN), Toyota, 90 points
2 Roberto Daprà (ITA), Škoda, 86 points
3 Nikolay Gryazin (BUL), Škoda, 77 points
4 Robert Virves (EST), Škoda, 75 points
5 Jan Solans (ESP), Toyota, 72 points
6 Kajetan Kajetanowicz (POL), Toyota, 72 points

Standings WRC2 Challenger/Co-Drivers (after 12 of 14 rallies)
1 Anssi Viinikka (FIN), Toyota, 90 points
2 Konstantin Aleksandrov (KGZ), Škoda, 77 points
3 Jakko Viilo (EST), Škoda, 75 points
4 Rodrigo Sanjuán (ESP), Toyota, 72 points
5 Maciej Szczepaniak (POL), Toyota, 72 points
6 Luca Guglielmetti (ITA), Škoda, 71 points

Standings WRC2/Teams (after 12 of 14 rallies)
1 Toksport WRT, Škoda, 198 points
2 PH Sport, Citroën, 178 points
3 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT NG, Toyota, 89 points
4 Sarrazin Motorsport-Iron Lynx, Citroën, 64 points

2025 FIA World Rally Championship

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