2020 Rally Japan

The 2020 Rally Japan (also known as the Rally Japan 2020) was a motor racing event for rally cars that was scheduled to be held over four days between 19 and 22 November 2020,[2] but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] It was set to mark the seventh running of Rally Japan and planned to be the final round of the 2020 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3. The 2020 event was scheduled to be based in Nagoya in Chūbu.

2020 Rally Japan
7. Rally Japan
Part of the 2020 World Rally Championship
Host country Japan
Rally baseNagoya, Chūbu
Held onScheduled for 19–22 November 2020
Start locationAichi Commemorative Park, Nagoya
Finish locationAichi Commemorative Park, Nagoya
Stages19 (307.78 km; 191.25 miles)[1]
Stage surfaceTarmac
Transport distance715.77 km (444.76 miles)
Overall distance1,023.55 km (636.00 miles)
Results
CancellationRally cancelled due to border restrictions.

Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia were the defending rally winners.[4] Citroën World Rally Team, the team they drove for in 2010, were the reigning manufacturers' winners, but would not defending their titles after parent company Citroën withdrew from the sport.[5]

Background

Itinerary

All dates and times are JST (UTC+9).

Date Time No. Stage name Distance
N/A 08:56 — Expo Park R Short [Shakedown] 4.78 km
Leg 1 — 153.68 km
N/A 07:33 SS1 Isegami Tunnel 1 23.82 km
08:36 SS2 Inabu Dam 1 21.38 km
09:34 SS3 Shitara Town 1 31.64 km
13:37 SS4 Isegami Tunnel 2 23.82 km
14:40 SS5 Inabu Dam 2 21.38 km
15:38 SS6 Shitara Town 2 31.64 km
Leg 2 — 103.86 km
N/A 07:23 SS7 Nukata Forest 1 20.63 km
08:08 SS8 Lake Mikawa 1 20.06 km
09:04 SS9 Shinshiro City 1 7.65 km
10:30 SS10 SSS Okazaki Central Park 1 1.20 km
13:45 SS11 SSS Okazaki Central Park 2 1.20 km
14:23 SS12 Nukata Forest 2 20.63 km
15:08 SS13 Lake Mikawa 2 20.06 km
16:04 SS14 Shinshiro City 2 7.65 km
18:46 SS15 Expo Park R Short 4.78 km
Leg 3 — 50.24 km
N/A 08:43 SS16 Ena City 21.47 km
09:36 SS17 Nenoue Plateau 11.63 km
11:08 SS18 Expo Park 1 8.57 km
13:18 SS19 Expo Park 2 [Power Stage] 8.57 km
Source:[1]

Preparation and cancellation
See also: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on motorsport

Rally Japan was scheduled to return to the calendar for the first time since 2010, replacing Rally Australia as the final round of the championship. The rally was scheduled to move its headquarters from Hokkaidō to a new base in Nagoya and was to be run on tarmac rather than gravel.[6] A candidate event had run in 2019.[7] However, in response to the national COVID-19 pandemic, the Japanese government had increased the country's border restrictions, which led to the cancellation of the rally.[3] The vacant spot left by the rally was taken by Belgium.[8]

References
  1. "Rally Guide 1" (PDF). rally-japan.jp. Rally Japan. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  2. Herrero, Daniel (27 September 2019). "Australia drops off WRC calendar in 2020". speedcafe.com. Speedcafe. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  3. Klein, Jamie (19 August 2020). "Belgium gets WRC round for the first time after Rally Japan axed". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  4. "Ace Ogier lands victory number two in Japan". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 12 September 2010. Archived from the original on 13 September 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  5. Evans, David (20 November 2019). "Citroen ends WRC programme, cites Ogier's exit as reason". motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  6. "Three new rounds in 2020 WRC calendar". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  7. Evans, David (8 April 2019). "FIA visits Japan and Kenya in next step for WRC returns in 2020". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  8. "Belgium added to 2020 FIA World Rally Championship". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
Previous rally:
N/A		 2020 FIA World Rally Championship Next rally:
N/A
Previous rally:
2010 Rally Japan		 2020 Rally Japan Next rally:
2021 Rally Japan
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