The FIA World Rally Championship roars back into life this week with one of its most punishing events — Rally Italia Sardegna — where soaring temperatures, brutal gravel roads, and razor-thin margins are the norm. Based around the coastal city of Olbia, the sixth round of the 2025 WRC season promises a stern mid-season test for drivers and machines alike.
If you’re picturing a calm Mediterranean retreat, think again. Sardinia’s unforgiving terrain winds through rocky hillsides and along rugged coastlines, with narrow tracks that quickly degrade into tyre-shredding, suspension-breaking challenges. Throw in the island’s searing summer heat, and you’ve got one of the toughest rallies of the year.
Among the most motivated competitors is Ott Tänak. The Hyundai Motorsport driver heads to Italy in search of redemption and a return to the top step of the podium. He came heartbreakingly close at the previous round in Portugal, only for a late power steering failure to gift the win to Sébastien Ogier of Toyota GAZOO Racing.
Now, Tänak returns to the scene of one of his finest victories — a 2024 Sardinia win secured by just two-tenths of a second in a thrilling Wolf Power Stage finale. That result tied the record for the closest finish in WRC history.
“Sardinia is another super punishing event. At first, it can look smooth and sandy, but the roads normally develop quickly. We can suddenly find solid rocks sticking out from the ground, which will make life hard for both the car and tyres. Hopefully, we have done our homework and we are going to be on the pace from the start!”
Tänak explained
Tänak enters the weekend fourth in the drivers’ standings, joined by Hyundai teammates Thierry Neuville (fifth) and Adrien Fourmaux (seventh), both of whom will benefit from favorable starting positions on Friday — an advantage on Sardinia’s dust-laden tracks where road sweeping plays a huge role.
At the top of the standings, Elfyn Evans faces the opposite scenario. His early-season consistency has earned him a 30-point championship lead, but that success comes at a price — as the road-opener, he’ll face the worst of the loose gravel, making damage limitation the likely objective.
Evans’ closest challengers include Kalle Rovanperä, just 30 points adrift, and Ogier, whose Portugal win closed the gap to a mere two points behind his Finnish teammate. Both will be in the hunt for victory in Sardinia, along with Toyota’s additional entries: Takamoto Katsuta and rising star Sami Pajari, competing in non-scoring roles.
Meanwhile, M-Sport Ford comes in with a four-car squad featuring Josh McErlean, Grégoire Munster, Mārtiņš Sesks, and Jourdan Serderidis. The team has yet to reach the podium in 2025, but Sardinia’s reputation for chaos could open the door for a breakthrough — especially for those who master the art of survival.
Rally Italia Sardegna begins with the shakedown on Thursday, 5 June, followed by 16 grueling stages covering over 320 competitive kilometres. Sunday’s Power Stage will bring the curtain down on what’s sure to be a high-stakes showdown on the Mediterranean island.
For more information on the FIA World Rally Championship, including driver standings and full event coverage, visit www.wrc.com.