As it stands with one day to go at Rally Saudi Arabia, Sébastien Ogier is one point ahead of Elfyn Evans in the World Rally Championship.
But Saturday’s ‘Super Sunday’ standings and the powerstage will ultimately crown this year’s World Rally champion.
Evans started the season finale three points up on Toyota team-mate Ogier, with Kalle Rovanperä still mathematically in contention, 24 points behind.
Rovanperä is the highest placed of the trio in fifth after 14 of the 17 stages, albeit by just 0.2s over Ogier who holds sixth spot overnight. Evans is eighth, meaning he’s on to score four fewer points than Ogier.
Both Ogier and Evans suffered punctures on Saturday, but Evans had to stop and change his on SS11 which means team-mate Sami Pajari – who was running third before having to stop and change his own wheel – splits them on the leaderboard.
The world title is completely up for grabs for either driver, with 10 points available from the final day – and of course no finishing positions are locked in either. That sets up a thrilling showdown to the season.
“I think we have to be all in,” Evans told DirtFish. “With the points so close then there’s no other option.”
But Evans has only beaten Ogier on two stages so far this weekend – and one of those Ogier had a puncture – so he’s not feeling too confident ahead of the final day of the season.
“[I’m] probably not very confident, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try,” he said.
“There’s a car between us on the road which won’t help with so much mileage first pass as well, but it is what it is. I’ll have to just be in there and give it what we can and see what comes at the end.”
A disgruntled Ogier remarked a “Russian roulette hand” would decide the championship, such has been the rough and toughness of Saturday’s afternoon leg in particular.
Hyundai’s Ott Tänak, who’ll sign off on this part of his career, was asked by DirtFish who he thought would succeed Thierry Neuville as world champion tomorrow.
“I don’t know,” Tänak said. “I understand at the moment Sébastien has better cards. So, yeah, let’s see who plays the cards right. Hopefully it’s a fair fight.”
