Hiroki Arai

Hiroki Arai
Hiroki Arai
	Hiroki Arai at the 2019 Rally Poland
Born	2 August 1993 (age 31); Gunma, Japan
Related to	Toshi Arai (father)
Active years
World Rally Championship record
Active years	2016–2018, 2021–present
Rallies	15
Championships	0
Rally wins	0
Podiums	0
Stage wins	0
First rally	2016 Rally Finland

Hiroki Arai (新井大輝, Arai Hiroki, born 2 August 1993) is a Japanese rally driver.

Biography

Hiroki Arai is the son of former Japanese rally driver Toshi Arai.^[1] In 2015, He was selected by Toyota Gazoo Racing to join their Rally Challenge Program, alongside Takamoto Katsuta, and made his WRC debut in 2016.^[2] After over two years of absence in WRC, he returned at the 2021 Croatia Rally.^[3] In November 2023, Akai scored his first point in the WRC, after finishing 10th at the 2023 Rally Japan in a Peugeot 208 Rally4.^[4]

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	WDC	Points
2016	Tommi Mäkinen Racing	Ford Fiesta R5	MON	SWE	MEX	ARG	POR	ITA	POL 42	FIN Ret	GER	CHN C	FRA	ESP	GBR	AUS	NC	0
2017	Tommi Mäkinen Racing	Ford Fiesta R5	MON	SWE 19	MEX	FRA	ARG	POR Ret	ITA Ret	POL	FIN Ret	GER	ESP	GBR	AUS		NC	0
2018	Tommi Mäkinen Racing	Ford Fiesta R5	MON	SWE 20	MEX	FRA 55	ARG	POR 12	ITA Ret	FIN 23	GER	TUR	GBR	ESP	AUS		NC	0
2021	Hiroki Arai	Ford Fiesta Rally2	MON	ARC	CRO Ret	POR	ITA	KEN	EST	BEL	GRE	FIN	ESP	MNZ			NC	0
2022	Ahead Japan Racing Team	Peugeot 208 Rally4	MON	SWE	CRO	POR	ITA	KEN	EST	FIN	BEL	GRE	NZL	ESP	JPN 15		NC	0
2023	Ahead Japan Racing Team	Peugeot 208 Rally4	MON	SWE	MEX	CRO	POR	ITA	KEN	EST	FIN	GRE	CHL	EUR	JPN 10		28th	1

* Season still in progress.

^ "Hiroki Arai". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
^ "ポルトガルの国内戦で新井大輝と勝田貴元が1-2フィニッシュ". rallyplus.net (in Japanese). 10 May 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
^ Lindroos, Pontus (8 April 2023). "Hiroki Arai Returns to WRC with Stohl Racing". thecheckeredflag.co.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
^ Barry, Luke (2023-11-19). "Evans wins Rally Japan in Toyota 1-2-3". DirtFish. Retrieved 2023-11-19.