Ogier entered the final round three points behind Elfyn Evans, with Kalle Rovanperä holding only a slim outside chance of the crown. Despite missing three rallies this season, Ogier capitalised on Evans’ difficulties to overturn the deficit and match Sébastien Loeb’s historic total of nine world titles, securing the championship by four points.
Extreme Conditions Challenge the Title Contenders
Saudi Arabia’s debut featured a brutal mix of soft desert sand and rough rock-strewn tracks, creating extreme road-cleaning effects and relentless tyre wear. Every Rally1 driver suffered at least one puncture or tyre separation, and the unpredictable surface repeatedly reshuffled the leaderboard.
Ogier handled Thursday’s opening loop cleanly, ending the day seventh, while Rovanperä dropped time with a puncture. Evans struggled significantly, lacking pace in the morning before missing a junction in Stage 4 and finishing ninth.
Friday brought more setbacks for Evans, who lost over two minutes after stopping to change a tyre in Stage 11, dropping to 10th overall. Meanwhile, the rally lead changed hands multiple times as title contenders and front-runners hit trouble.
Toyota’s Sami Pajari and Hyundai’s Ott Tänak battled for the lead before both suffered punctures on Stage 13. Tänak endured three further tyre problems and eventually retired. The chaos allowed Ogier to rise to sixth, while Rovanperä climbed to fifth with a stage win. Evans improved to eighth.
Lead Battle Turns on Penalties and Punctures
The front of the field saw an intense fight between Fourmaux and WRC returnee Martins Sesks. After early stage wins from Sesks, a puncture dropped him behind Pajari, only for Pajari’s tyre separation to promote Fourmaux into the lead.
Fourmaux extended his advantage on Friday morning but damaged a rear suspension arm, reducing the gap to Sesks. A dust delay following Pajari’s puncture then pushed Fourmaux behind Sesks once more.
Both drivers punctured again in Stage 14, but Sesks lost more time, giving Fourmaux a 2.4-second lead — until a costly one-minute time-control penalty dropped him to fourth behind Sesks, Neuville and Katsuta heading into the final day.
Neuville Takes Control, Sesks Falters
Neuville began Saturday just 3.4 seconds behind Sesks. A measured but decisive run saw him take the lead on Stage 15 as Sesks drove cautiously. On Stage 16, Sesks suffered twin punctures and technical problems, dropping him out of victory contention and leaving Neuville with a commanding advantage of 54.7 seconds over Fourmaux.
Behind them, Ogier delivered a strong push, claiming his first stage win of the rally to secure third overall. Evans climbed to sixth but could not overturn the championship deficit.
Even with Evans winning the Power Stage, Ogier’s points margin ensured he sealed the 2025 title.
Saudi Arabia’s Decisive Finale
Neuville claimed his first win of the season, leading a Hyundai 1–2 as Fourmaux and Katsuta followed in the top five. Rovanperä finished sixth, ahead of M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster and Josh McErlean, with Oliver Solberg the top Rally2 runner in 10th.
A turbulent, tyre-shredding debut in Saudi Arabia tested every crew to the limit, but by the end, it was Ogier who emerged as world champion once again, matching the record with his ninth title after a season defined by resilience, consistency and decisive execution under pressure.
