After years of near-misses, including five frustrating runner-up finishes, Thierry Neuville could finally celebrate a first FIA World Rally Championship drivers’ title at the season-closing Rally

Hyundai Motorsport is celebrating its first FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) drivers' and co-drivers' titles with Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe emerging victorious* The Belgians were crowned champions at Rally Japan,

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.

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

Rally Japan 4 Update

Evans clinched the rally win by 1m27.3s from Toyota team-mate Ogier, while M-Sport-Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux ended his breakout WRC season, with a fifth podium in third [+1m55.6s].

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.