Stage surface Gravel Stages 29 | End date November 2, 2008 Rally base Sapporo | |
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Dates run October 31 – November 2, 2008 Overall distance 1,316.28 km (817.90 mi) Overall winner Mikko Hirvonen
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team Crews 88 at start, 59 at finish Similar 2008 Rally Catalunya, 2008 Rally GB, 2008 Rally México, 2008 Acropolis Rally, 2008 Rally Finland | ||
The 2008 Rally Japan was the fourteenth and penultimate round of the 2008 World Rally Championship season. The event saw Sébastien Loeb clinch his fifth consecutive world drivers title with his drive to a third-place finish. The event was won by Mikko Hirvonen in a Ford Focus, who led the event from start to finish to claim his third win of the season. Second place went to Hirvonen's team mate Jari-Matti Latvala, his fifth podium of the year and his first since the Rally of Turkey back in June.
Stobart M-Sport Ford's François Duval crashed out from second place during the sixth stage. Duval was not injured in the crash, but his co-driver Patrick Pivato sustained a fractured pelvis and tibia. He was rushed to the hospital, and internal bleeding was discovered during surgery. On day two of the rally, after a second operation, his condition was described as critical but stable.
On the 19th stage, Toni Gardemeister took the Suzuki World Rally Team's first-ever stage win. Suzuki also had their most successful rally to date with Gardemeister finishing sixth and team mate Per-Gunnar Andersson recording his best ever finish of fifth position.
The event was originally planned to run on October 24−26, but as to make full use of venues (possibly involved with Sapporo Dome(SS 9-10,19-20,25) as there was possibilies for its tenant using the Dome for preparation of postseason baseball game, even it was not happened finally), the event was approved by FIA to delay for a week.
The Sapporo Dome Super Special Stage become the second Super Special Stage held in indoor venues in WRC history.