Ott Tanak has explained the crash he described as a “proper disaster” that handed team-mate Thierry Neuville the World Rally Championship crown and dented Hyundai’s manufacturers’ title bid. Tanak started Sunday with a commanding 38 second rally lead over Toyota’s Elfyn Evans but his Rally Japan victory bid unravelled in the most spectacular fashion on stage 17.

Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe are the 2024 WRC Champions! The opening stage of the final day of WRC Forum8

Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe have clinched the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship title in the most dramatic of circumstances, securing their maiden crown after Hyundai Motorsport team-mates Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja crashed out on the opening stage of Rally Japan’s final day.

Ott Tanak has dramatically crashed out of the lead of Rally Japan which has handed Thierry Neuville the World Rally Championship and swung the manufacturers title battle towards Toyota. Tanak started Sunday with a 38 second rally lead over Toyota’s Elfyn Evans which he needed to maintain to keep his WRC title hopes alive.

Ott Tanak extended his Rally Japan lead on Saturday, but all eyes were on his Hyundai teammate, Thierry Neuville (above), as he vaulted up the leaderboard to put himself within touching distance

Hyundai's Thierry Neuville secured his first world rally championship in Japan on Sunday as Toyota sealed the manufacturers' crown. The Belgian driver ended years of near-misses by finishing sixth after team mate and main rival Ott Tanak crashed out while leading on the day's opening stage.

Championship leader Neuville produced an impressive fightback to haul himself from 15th to seventh to provisionally pick up four of the six points needed for a maiden world title