The World Rally Championship ended in dramatic fashion. It took until the final stage of the year to determine the 2025 world champion: Sébastien Ogier. Thierry Neuville won the Saudi Arabia Rally and effectively passed the baton to the Frenchman, who climbed to the throne for the ninth time in his career.
It was a truly breathless event, with Toyota drivers Elfyn Evans, Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä locked in a world title fight right to the final stage. However, punctures repeatedly disrupted the strategies of the contenders, who were on edge until the very last kilometre.
Mãrtins Sesks (Ford Puma Rally1) adapted best to the characteristics of this brand-new rally, featuring 17 gravel stages — almost a small-scale Dakar — and was on course for his maiden WRC victory. But two punctures on the penultimate stage handed the win to Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20 N Rally1). It was Hyundai’s second triumph of 2025 and denied world champions Toyota a 13th win of the season, which would have set a new all-time record.
Despite missing three events by choice, Sébastien Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) still managed, at 41, to secure his ninth drivers’ title, equalling his great rival Sébastien Loeb. His career tally now stands at 203 WRC rallies, 67 victories (33.1%), and 807 stage wins with three different manufacturers: VW, Ford and Toyota. Ogier’s joy contrasted with the emotional farewell of Kalle Rovanperä, who will switch to Japan’s Super Formula in 2026, and Ott Tänak, who has decided to take a break from the sport.
The three title contenders were caught out on the opening leg by rising stars Mãrtins Sesks, Sami Pajari and Adrien Fourmaux. The lead changed hands several times throughout the day, with Fourmaux the only frontrunner to avoid punctures, ending the leg with a 6-second advantage over Sami Pajari and 6.9 seconds over Mãrtins Sesks. The title hopefuls had a chaotic opening leg and slipped down the order: Ogier was 7th and virtual world champion, Rovanperä sat 8th and Evans just behind. They attributed their time losses to running first on the road and having to clear loose gravel and sand.
The second leg, featuring six stages (134 km), was the longest and most demanding, and the previous day’s leaders continued to set the pace. The rally's unfamiliarity levelled the playing field. Experience did not provide an advantage here, and the new generation showcased its speed. It was a punishing day for Hankook tyres, leaving the frontrunners exasperated — “there are rocks everywhere,” complained Adrien Fourmaux. At the end of the leg, the Frenchman held a 2.4-second lead over Mãrtins Sesks and 5.8 seconds over Thierry Neuville, but he was handed a one-minute penalty for checking in too early at the final control, dropping him to fourth. This elevated Mãrtins Sesks into the rally lead, 3.4 seconds ahead of Thierry Neuville and 41.5 seconds ahead of Takamoto Katsuta.
The title fight was unfolding just behind and was gripping throughout. Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä were consistently faster than Elfyn Evans. Ogier had a comfortable margin, but a puncture on the final stage of the day caused him to lose time and be overtaken by Rovanperä by just 0.2 seconds. Even so, the Frenchman remained ahead in the championship by a single point.
The rally winner and the 2025 world champion would be decided over the final three stages (65 km) and the Power Stage bonus points. Punctures again caused havoc, with Mãrtins Sesks suffering two on the same stage and losing the lead to Thierry Neuville. The Latvian hardly deserved such misfortune: he had led many of the stages and had been close to securing his first WRC win. The 2024 world champion, Neuville, had the fewest tyre issues and claimed victory: “Finishing with an unexpected win is obviously a fantastic feeling. The next season is coming quickly and we have a lot of work ahead to be better prepared for 2026. It’s a tough challenge, but we will keep fighting,” said the Belgian. His team-mate Adrien Fourmaux finished second, with Sébastien Ogier completing the podium.
Elfyn Evans gave everything in the Power Stage to claw back points from Ogier, but the Frenchman responded with the second-fastest time to settle the championship. Rovanperä was no longer in the fight, having lost significant time with yet another puncture. Ogier produced a spectacular end to the season, taking six rally wins and finishing on the podium in ten of the eleven events he contested. “What a season, what a fight with Elfyn! There is only a great champion when there is a great rival, and he was extremely competitive and pushed us to the limit until the final stage. Congratulations to Toyota Gazoo Racing. It was a very successful season. I’m proud and very happy to be part of this family,” said the Frenchman. He added: “I never thought I would reach a ninth title after deciding to spend more time with my family. This was only possible thanks to this fantastic team, and having found a young co-driver, Vincent, who did an incredible job, bringing positive energy and making me feel younger.” Ogier has already confirmed he will take part in 10 of the 14 events in 2026.
Elfyn Evans produced an incredibly consistent season and, before this rally, had finished every event inside the top six. The second half of the year brought four consecutive second places, putting him in the championship lead. He pushed flat-out on the final stage to recover points from Ogier, but it wasn’t enough. “I think we did what we could this weekend. Friday’s puncture didn’t help, but that’s how it goes — everyone had their issues. Seb and Vincent were incredible all year and deserve this title. I always want more, but I’m satisfied with this season. The team was fantastic and always supported and encouraged us. Thanks to everyone for the incredible work,” said the Welshman, now a five-time world vice-champion.
Kalle Rovanperä claimed three wins this year and entered his final rally with the obligation to score maximum points and hope for misfortune elsewhere. Instead, he was the one struck by bad luck with a series of punctures, finishing third in the championship. “Congratulations to Seb on the title, he was very strong this year. It wasn’t the rally I wanted, but I knew it would be difficult. Still, the feeling is good. Of course, it’s sad to leave rallying and the people who have been part of my life, but I’m also very proud of what I’ve achieved. A special thanks to Toyota for these fantastic years,” he said.
Oliver Solberg (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) once again dominated WRC2 and finished 10th overall.
Final Classification
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Thierry Neuville/Martin Wydaegue (Hyundai i20 N Rally1), 3h 21m 17.3s
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Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1), +54.7s
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Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1), +1m 03.3s
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Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1), +1m 51.7s
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Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1), +1m 59.9s
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Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1), +3m 43.9s
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Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1), +5m 31.5s
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Grégoire Munster/Louis Louka (Ford Puma Rally1), +7m 07.2s
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Joshua McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1), +8m 30.5s
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Oliver Solberg/Elliot Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), +10m 00.6s (1st WRC2)
Final Drivers’ Championship
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Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) – 293 points
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Elfyn Evans (Toyota) – 289
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Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) – 256
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Ott Tänak (Hyundai) – 217
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Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) – 194
Final Manufacturers’ Championship
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Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT – 735 points
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Hyundai World Rally Team – 511
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M-Sport Ford World Rally Team – 205
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Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 – 158