Toyota Gazoo Racing has concluded an exceptionally successful season in the World Rally Championship, securing both the manufacturers’ and drivers’ crowns. Sébastien Ogier claimed his ninth world title after a dramatic finale in the Saudi Arabian desert, matching the record held by Sébastien Loeb and reaffirming his place among the sport’s greats.
The Saudi Arabia Rally delivered a gripping conclusion. Ogier and his team-mate Elfyn Evans arrived with different approaches, identical ambition and a title at stake. Evans began the event with a three-point lead, only to lose 1 minute 40 seconds on Friday due to a tyre change. Ogier later suffered his own delay with a loss of tyre pressure, bringing their battle to near parity. By Super Saturday only a single point separated them, and on Sunday morning the gap was just 0.1 seconds.
The decisive moment came in the penultimate stage, a demanding 33.28-kilometre test where Ogier was 7.9 seconds quicker, moving into third overall. Evans responded with a superb Power Stage win, but Ogier held on to seal the title. His season total included six victories and ten podiums in eleven starts. For co-driver Vincent Landais, it was a first world championship. For Ogier, it marked his third title with Toyota, achieved despite a part-time programme.
Evans may have missed out on the championship, but his consistency was remarkable with top-six finishes in all fourteen rallies, two wins and six additional podiums. Kalle Rovanperä remained in mathematical contention but saw his challenge fade after a puncture on day one. He finished seventh, closing an important chapter before moving to single-seater racing with Toyota support.
Sami Pajari ended his first full Rally1 season with his strongest performance to date, climbing from seventh to fourth on the final day. Takamoto Katsuta fought for a podium but eventually finished fifth after an off-road moment.
In WRC2, Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson capped an impressive year as the top Rally2 crew across nine events and will step up to Rally1 in 2026.
Final Classification
- Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) 3h21m17.3s
- Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +54.7s
- Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1m03.3s
- Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1m51.7s
- Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1m59.9s
- Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +3m43.9s
- Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +5m31.5s
- Grégoire Munster/Louis Louka (Ford Puma Rally1) +7m07.2s
- Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) +8m30.5s
- Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +10m00.6s
(Results as of 14:20 on Saturday. For the latest updates visit www.wrc.com)
Drivers’ Standings
- Sébastien Ogier 293
- Elfyn Evans 289
- Kalle Rovanperä 256
- Ott Tänak 216
- Thierry Neuville 194
- Takamoto Katsuta 122
- Adrien Fourmaux 115
- Sami Pajari 107
- Oliver Solberg 71
- Grégoire Munster 40
Manufacturers’ Standings
- Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team 735
- Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team 511
- M-Sport Ford World Rally Team 205
- Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 158