The final event of the 2024 World Rally Championship at Rally Japan will see legendary driver Didier Auriol make his return.
Auriol made his first appearance in the WRC all the way back in 1984, driving a Renault 5 Turbo as a private entry in his home nation of France.
Driving for the likes of Ford, Lancia and Toyota, Auriol competed full-time from 1990 and finished in the top three of the championship for the next five years.
In 1994, he became the first Frenchman to win the WRC title, beating Carlos Sainz Snr to the crown by 17 points.
In his career, Auriol has won 20 rallies and grabbed 53 podiums, 554 stage wins and 747 total points.
Didier Auriol will drive a right-hand drive car for the first time since 1986 at Rally Japan
Now 66 years old, the Frenchman has not made an appearance in the WRC since the 2005 Monte Carlo Rally.
But for the season finale in 2024 in Japan, Auriol will make his return as he will get behind the wheel of a modified Toyota GR Yaris JN1 car. The machine is homologated by the Japanese federation, but not by the FIA, which means that he will not be officially classified as a WRC entrant despite being a part of the rally.
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Nevertheless, the JN1 car will present a challenge for the 66-year-old. Speaking with DirtFish, Auriol revealed that he will be piloting a right-hand drive vehicle for the first time since 1986 and that he had hoped to drive a Rally2 car, but this was ‘impossible’.
“When they proposed this rally with the JN1 car, I tried to push to have a Rally2,” he said. “Even if it was just to enjoy driving a proper rally car, rather than compete. But the team doesn’t have this car, so it was impossible. But it would be even nicer to have been in a faster car!”
“It’s right-hand drive,” Auriol pointed out. “The last time I drove right-hand drive was with the Metro 6R4 [in the 1986 season]!
“It also has six gears, so there will be lots of gear changes. It’s a lot for an old man! It’s also complicated because there is no hydraulic handbrake – I asked!”
Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak are battling for the 2024 title at Rally Japan
Along with Auriol’s return marking a historic day in the WRC, the 2024 title is there to be won at Rally Japan.
Thierry Neuville was unable to wrap up the championship at the Central European Rally as he finished third behind Elfyn Evans in second and the winner Ott Tanak.
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Subsequently, the Belgian has a 25-point lead heading into the season finale over his Hyundai teammate Tanak. While this is a good margin for Neuville to grab his first WRC title, the Estonian is looking to fight until the very end for the crown.
Hyundai leads the Manufacturers’ Championship by 15 points over Toyota. Heading into their home event, Cyril Abiteboul’s team will be hoping to prevent their rivals from claiming a clean sweep of titles in 2024.