WRC Preview: Rally Italia Sardegna 2026
The 2026 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) reaches its conclusion this week with Rally Italia Sardegna, where three Toyota drivers will fight for their first WRC drivers’ title.
After the cancellation of Rally Saudi Arabia, Sardinia has been elevated to the season finale, turning what was originally the penultimate round into the decisive event of the year. Elfyn Evans arrives in Italy leading teammates, Sami Pajari and Oliver Solberg, with just 21 points separating the trio.
Chile in the rearview
Oliver Solberg converted his jolt in performance into a second victory of the season, collecting the maximum available points from the Power Stage and Super Sunday. This result moved him closer in the standings, with 21 points separating him from Evans.
“The championship has looked like a long shot for us at times this year, but we never gave up,” Solberg said ahead of this week’s last run of the championship.
“It was great to get back into the fight with our result in Chile and go into this last rally with a shot at the title. It’s a big gap to Elfyn to try to close in one rally, but we will give it everything, of course, and in a rally like Sardinia, anything can still happen.
“The stages are challenging, with fast sections where you need good commitment, as well as more technical parts where you have to be more patient. I don’t have so much experience there, especially in the top category, but we had a good run to win the Rally2 class last year, and we just have to aim for the top step once more and see what happens.”
Current drivers’ championship leader, Evans, saw the prospect of a larger championship advantage disappear late in the rally. A damaged front-left tyre on the penultimate stage dropped him from second to fifth, although he recovered to take second on the Power Stage and limit the damage.
“Our approach for Sardinia doesn’t change just because it’s the last rally of the season: we have to go there and have the best rally that we can,” said the Welsh driver.
“We’ve worked hard to put ourselves in this position, holding on to the lead through a difficult run of gravel rallies. Sami [Pajari] and Oliver [Solberg] have been driving well, and with so many points still available, especially on Sunday, we know things will most likely remain open until the end. We just need to drive it like a normal rally and focus on doing the best job we can.
“Sardinia is usually not an easy rally to open the road on, and although we might be more likely to see some rain at this time of year, which could help reduce the cleaning effect for us, we have to prepare for a demanding event like usual.”
Pajari finished fourth in Chile and now sits between his two Toyota teammates in the standings.
That leaves Evans on 230 points, Pajari on 213 and Solberg on 209 heading into Sardinia. With 35 points available, all three remain mathematically capable of becoming world champion.
While the drivers’ championship remains undecided, Toyota already secured a sixth consecutive manufacturers’ title in Chile.
The showdown in Sardinia
The 2026 FIA World Rally Championship concludes this week with Rally Italia Sardegna.
After the cancellation of Rally Saudi Arabia, Sardinia has been designated as the season finale, turning what was originally the penultimate round into the decisive event.
The competitive action begins Thursday evening with a super special stage at the Ittiri rallycross circuit. Friday features two passes through three stages, while Saturday follows a similar format and introduces the new Solorche test. Sunday’s final leg, with two stages run twice before the second pass of Sassari-Argentiera, becomes the season-ending Wolf Power Stage.
Sardinia will also mark the end of the Rally1 era. The Toyota GR YARIS Rally1, Hyundai i20 N Rally1 and M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 have represented the top level of the WRC since 2022, combining hybrid technology with the latest generation of high-performance rally machinery.
Toyota’s GR YARIS Rally1 will make its final appearance in Sardinia before new technical regulations are rolled out for 2027. For the drivers, this finale is not only about the championship. It also holds the last opportunity to win a WRC event with this generation of Rally1 machinery.
Edited by Liam Ploetner
Comments