Sébastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans and Ott Tänak have all taken turns, but who’ll lead the World Rally Championship at its decisive moment?
Heading into this week’s final showdown at Rally Saudi Arabia, Evans leads Ogier by just three points, while Kalle Rovanperä still has math on his side with a 24-point deficit. There are up to 35 points left to claim.
This is how the 2025 WRC title fight has shaped up and evolved to reach this epic climax.
Monte Carlo
The first rally of a new era as the WRC ditched hybrid and welcomed Hankook, but there was little shake-up to the pecking order.
Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais managed the Monte to perfection as Ogier extended his victory record on the event to 10. Evans produced a battling performance to repel Hyundai debutant Adrien Fourmaux’s advances and secure second – the net championship lead with Ogier on a partial program.
Making his full-time WRC return, Rovanperä lacked speed – struggling with the new rubber – but was fourth ahead of Tänak, while reigning champion Thierry Neuville suffered a bad start in sixth.
Championship leader: Ogier (7pts ahead of Evans)
Sweden
Evans stamped his authority on the championship to win Rally Sweden despite starting first on the road.
A solid ice base reduced that deficit, but the Welshman was nonetheless inspired – securing a maximum point score after a final day fight with Toyota team-mate Takamoto Katsuta.
With Tänak fourth and Rovanperä a surprise fifth, Evans moved into a dominant championship lead, with Ogier somehow still second despite not competing in Umeå.
Championship leader: Evans (28pts ahead of Ogier)
Kenya
If Sweden was a signal, then Safari was the statement.
Evans took another victory in assured fashion, profiting from a driveshaft issue that cost Tänak the lead. Rovanperä had been running second, but two punctures on Saturday cost him over a minute before he was ruled out for good with a broken alternator on Sunday.
No points scored.
That helped Evans establish an even bigger championship lead, with some feeling it may already be his title to lose.
Championship leader: Evans (36pts ahead of Neuville)
Canarias
The Rovanperä response. And what a response it was.
Nobody else got a look in as the WRC visited the Canary Islands for the very first time. Quickest on 15 of the 18 stages, the Finn took a badly-needed win that vaulted him from sixth to second in the championship.
Ogier returned for the first time since Monte Carlo and was second ahead of Evans, whose series lead extended again due to his closest rival changing.
Hyundai endured a nightmare weekend with a severe lack of pace from their i20 N Rally1.
Championship leader: Evans (43pts ahead of Rovanperä)
Portugal
The beginning of the European gravel season and Ogier’s presence – and performance – started to outline him as a potential title contender.
Tänak was actually ahead in his Hyundai despite a rear-left puncture, but power-steering failure towards the end of Saturday was all the opportunity Ogier needed to pounce.
Tänak won five of Sunday’s six stages but Ogier won the rally by 8.7s. Rovanperä was just 12.2s off the win in third, while championship leader Evans struggled as first on the road and ended up sixth – 2m31.0s behind Ogier.
His championship lead was therefore clipped for the first time since Monte Carlo.
Championship leader: Evans (30pts ahead of Rovanperä)
Sardinia
Bizarrely, the podium in Sardinia was an exact repeat of Portugal with Ogier winning ahead of Tänak and Rovanperä.
It perhaps should’ve been Neuville’s rally, but the world champion misjudged a crest and ripped a wheel off his Hyundai to continue what had been a miserable title defense.
Evans had to stop and change a puncture on Saturday but managed to finish fourth, protecting his championship lead – although more ground was lost to Rovanperä and Ogier who was now up to second.
Championship leader: Evans (19pts ahead of Ogier)
Greece
The Acropolis is the only rally Toyota has been defeated on all season so far, with Tänak outperforming Ogier to secure victory.
It was an important result for both Hyundai and the Estonian, who moved to third in the points table – just 12 points shy of the summit.
Evans’ lead dropped to single figures as he placed fourth for the second rally running, while an off for Rovanperä damaged his bid as he could only rescue four points from the weekend. He slipped to 33 points behind Evans.
Championship leader: Evans (9pts ahead of Ogier)
Estonia
Ogier’s absence presented Evans, Tänak and Rovanperä with a golden opportunity, but it was the man driving Ogier’s Toyota that gained the most: Oliver Solberg.
A stunning victory in a one-off drive naturally grabbed the headlines, but Tänak’s second place – his fourth successive podium – allowed him to take the lead of the championship for the first time as a Hyundai driver.
Rovanperä finished fourth with Evans down in sixth. Ogier fell from nine to 21 points off the series lead.
Championship leader: Tänak (1pt ahead of Evans)
Finland
Tänak’s championship lead would be short-lived as he endured a wretched Rally Finland – not helped by a five-minute penalty for a collision with an official. He finished down in 10th – a position gained by team-mate Fourmaux’s tactical retirement with a puncture on the powerstage.
Instead, it was Rovanperä’s turn to finally rule his home event. A gutsy drive to all 35 points was important for Rovanperä’s CV but also his championship challenge, as he stormed up to second.
Ogier returned to action and came home third behind Katsuta, but crucially ahead of Evans who was fourth. The Welshman however retook the lead of the championship, with Tänak falling to equal third with Ogier – 13 points adrift.
Championship leader: Evans (3pts ahead of Rovanperä)
Paraguay
With Ogier confirming his intention to fight for the 2025 title, he duly broke his South American jinx and won the inaugural WRC edition of Rally Paraguay.
But the Frenchman cut a frustrated figure at the end of the event, as sudden rain on the powerstage had cost him important points to team-mates Evans and Rovanperä.
Evans finished second to Ogier and only scored four fewer points, while Rovanperä had led but finished fifth following a Saturday puncture.
Tänak finished one place ahead, slowed by a puncture of his own.
Championship leader: Evans (7pts ahead of Rovanperä)
Chile
Atoning for the frustration of Paraguay, Ogier took the lead of the championship for the first time since January with a full 35-point score in Chile.
Evans was second again, however, to limit the damage as best he could.
An unforced error from Rovanperä meant his charge took another hit, while Tänak’s championship challenge completely nosedove as his engine failed while leading the rally on Friday.
That left the Hyundai man 43 points off the new leader Ogier, with Rovanperä 21 back.
Championship leader: Ogier (2pts ahead of Evans)
Central Europe
The only time Evans has beaten Ogier on an event all year was Central European Rally, and Ogier was comfortably ahead when disaster struck.
The sudden puncture that sent Ogier off relieved the pressure on Rovanperä, and handed Evans a gift he was glad to accept. Rovanperä won to close to 13 points behind Evans who was second, with Ogier tied with Rovanperä.
Reigning world champion Neuville’s title defense officially ended when he crashed into a bridge on the final morning.
Championship leader: Evans (13pts ahead of Rovanperä and Ogier)
Japan
Ogier returned to winning ways in Toyota’s backyard, but Evans made it a difficult victory for the eight-time champion.
The pair were separated by just 0.096s on the powerstage for example, but crucially for Ogier he sealed another 35-pointer to narrow Evans’ advantage to just three points ahead of Saudi Arabia.
Rovanperä broke his suspension on Friday and fought back valiantly to sixth, but that leaves the championship, in his words, “out of our hands”.
Fourth place for Tänak was not enough for him to stay in contention, setting up a three-way showdown between three Toyotas this week.
Championship leader: Evans (3pts ahead of Ogier)
