Sébastien Ogier steals brilliant ninth WRC Championship

Sébastien Ogier rallying to victory | Credit: Toyota Gazoo Racing

The 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC) has been the closest season in recent history, going right down to the Wolf Power Stage. After a dramatic rally in the deserts of Saudi Arabia, Sébastien Ogier has defeated Elfyn Evans in the fight for the Championship.

There were 14 rounds on the WRC calendar of 2025, but Sébastien Ogier competed in only 11 of them. He was initially set to compete part time, then drop down the Championship order and benefit from road position in the rallies he did compete in, with the aim of scoring points for the Manufacturer's Championship.

Ogier won the opening round at Monte Carlo, then missed the next two rounds. The French driver returned for the Rally Islas Canarias, finishing second. He won the next two rounds in Portugal and Italy, both by less than 10 seconds. Another second place was secured at the Rally Greece.

Ogier's final missed rally was in Estonia, before competing in each of the final six rounds. His worst result at that point came in Finland when he finished third, however after winning the next two in Paraguay and Chile, he crashed out from the lead of the Central European Rally.

The crash lost Ogier's hard-fought Championship lead, but he won Super Sunday to take some damage limitation. It didn't surprise anyone when Ogier bounced back in the penultimate round of the season in Japan, taking maximum points.

Having had a massive Championship lead at the start of the season, Evans lead to Ogier heading to the finale at Rally Saudi Arabia was three points.

The Championship protagonists were affected with the worst road position throughout the rally, causing them to fight at the bottom end of the point scoring positions. With everything still on the table, the Championship went right down to the final day, as it became apparent the Super Sunday and Wolf Power Stage points would decide the victor.

Every car opted to take two spare tyres on Sunday, except Evans and Ogier who needed the lightest car for max pace. Taking full risk, the two were separated by only a tenth on the first of the day's three stages.

Although it wasn't mathematically over yet, Ogier put in a Championship worthy performance in the penultimate and most brutal stage - beating Evans by 7.9 seconds.

In the Power Stage, Evans put everything on the line to win, but Ogier was unbreakable, finishing third place in the rally and first place in the Championship.

This is the fourth time Evans has been runner up in the top category of the WRC, but its the ninth time Ogier has been the Driver's Champion, tying the veteran with his old rival Sébastien Loeb. On the other end of the scale, for Ogier's co-driver, Vincent Landais, this was his first Championship in the WRC.

Ogier will return next season, targeting to become the first driver to take 10 WRC Championships.

Despite most eyes being glued to the Championship competing drivers, a brilliant fight took place for the top spot of the Rally Saudi Arabia between Sami Pajari, Mārtinš Sesks, Adrien Fourmaux, Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville.

The lethal style of the rally took Pajari, Fourmaux and Tänak out of contention, leaving the fight to Sesks and Neuville. Unfortunately in the penultimate stage Sesks was hit with two punctures, taking away his opportunity to get a maiden win. For the first time this season, Neuville won the rally, by a minute to Adrien Fourmaux.

The WRC will return on the 22nd January 2026 in Monte Carlo.