Rally Chile has gained a reputation for rewarding those who maintain speed through blind, fast corners. The event delivered dramatic twists and two winners: Sébastien Ogier claimed overall victory, while Oliver Solberg secured the WRC2 world title.
With just three rounds remaining, the World Championship is entering its decisive stage, with four contenders still in the fight. Among them is Sébastien Ogier who, in Chile, made his 200th WRC start; the Frenchman has 66 victories and eight world titles to his name. He follows in the footsteps of his team principal, Jari-Matti Latvala, who was the first driver to reach this milestone.
Toyota celebrated its 10th victory in 11 rallies this season, consolidating its status as the most successful manufacturer in WRC history, now with 103 wins. It was also the 30th time the Japanese marque secured a one-two finish. Ogier claimed his fifth victory of the year and seized the lead of the drivers’ standings.
The Toyota drivers adapted best to the rapid gravel stages, filled with blind corners that tested commitment, while rain and fog in the morning stages further limited visibility.
The six stages of the opening leg were fiercely contested, with four different drivers holding the lead. Kalle Rovanperä came out attacking and briefly led, but saw his chances collapse after clipping a bank and suffering a puncture. Ott Tänak was also showing impressive speed and moved into first place ahead of Elfyn Evans. However, an engine failure on the final stage forced him to stop, and Adrien Fourmaux inherited the lead, just one second ahead of reigning champion Thierry Neuville, who had improved significantly after set-up changes to his i20N Rally1. Hyundai had not led a rally for some time, but Sébastien Ogier was only 2.3 seconds adrift.
The second leg, the longest of the rally, provided a thrilling battle for the lead. Toyota drivers attacked hard, and by the end of the first loop had turned the rally in their favour, with Elfyn Evans leading by 5.6 seconds over Ogier and 9.3 seconds over Adrien Fourmaux. The second pass through the stages consolidated Toyota’s advantage. The eight-time world champion mounted an impressive recovery, winning three consecutive stages and finishing the day with a 6.3-second lead over Evans and 26.8 seconds ahead of Fourmaux, who was still chasing his maiden WRC victory. The Frenchman admitted to traction issues and frustrations with his car: “Something is missing from the Hyundai i20N Rally1. It’s quite frustrating for us.”
The final leg, though shorter, was decisive for the fight between Ogier and Evans. Both pushed to the limit, but Ogier proved masterful in controlling the rally. He also won the Super Sunday and Power Stage, collecting maximum points to move into the championship lead. “It was exactly what we wanted,” said Ogier. “It was a tougher weekend than in Paraguay. We had a few small issues in the morning, and maybe I wasn’t fully awake at times, but overall we’re very happy with the result. These are points we deserved, especially compared with what we lost in Paraguay. I’m now looking forward to the asphalt. Being number one again is a meaningful achievement for Toyota, and I’m sure we can keep building on it in the remaining rallies.”
With 10 victories in 11 rallies, Toyota is on the verge of securing a fifth manufacturers’ title. In the drivers’ championship, the fight is wide open between Ogier, Evans, and Rovanperä, separated by just 21 points. Tänak lies 43 points back and is unlikely to rejoin the battle. Not since 2003, when Petter Solberg claimed his sole world title, has the championship reached round 11 with so little separating the leaders.
In WRC2, the spotlight was on Oliver Solberg (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) and Nikolay Gryazin (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2). Both Yohan Rossel and Gus Greensmith (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) retired with mechanical issues, leaving Solberg in a strong position to clinch the championship by the end of the opening leg. From there, he only needed to bring the car home – but he never eased off, eventually winning by 40.4 seconds and confirming his world title in style. “WRC2 World Champion 2025? It sounds amazing! Honestly, I can’t even describe how I feel. It’s overwhelming. Last year we had such bad luck, and we should have won it. Finally, this was the year. I’m so happy – it’s been an incredible season,” said a jubilant Solberg.
The WRC now moves on to the Central European Rally (16–19 October), an asphalt event featuring 18 stages (306 km) across Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
Final Classification
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Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – 2h55m42.1
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Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +11.0s
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Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +46.5s
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Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +59.0s
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Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1m03.4s
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Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1m35.7s
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Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +2m14.0s
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Grégoire Munster/Louis Louka (Ford Puma Rally1) +2m44.1s
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Oliver Solberg/Elliot Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +8m18.6s (1st WRC2)
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Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +8m59.0s
Drivers’ Championship
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Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) – 224 pts
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Elfyn Evans (Toyota) – 222 pts
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Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) – 203 pts
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Ott Tänak (Hyundai) – 181 pts
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Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) – 166 pts
Manufacturers’ Championship
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Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT – 572 pts
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Hyundai World Rally Team – 447 pts
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M-Sport Ford World Rally Team – 157 pts
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Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 – 111 pts