Sardinia spoils go to Ogier as WRC title race intensifies
Sébastien Ogier made history in Sardinia on Sunday afternoon, surviving a dramatic final stage to claim his record fifth Rally Italia Sardegna victory at WRC 2025 Stop 06 in Alghero, Italy. The Frenchman fended off a determined Ott Tänak to win by just 7.9 seconds, capping off a weekend of intense rally action that saw the WRC title race narrow even further.
Just a year after losing victory on this same event by a mere 0.2 seconds—the joint closest finish in WRC history—Ogier was again at the center of final-stage drama. Heading into the Wolf Power Stage with a comfortable 17.1-second lead, the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 driver looked set for a calm cruise to victory. But a costly overshoot on a deeply rutted final corner forced him to stop and reverse, cutting his lead in half and sparking flashbacks of 2024’s heartbreak.
“In the ruts, I just couldn’t turn the car. There was no speed at all, so I didn’t try to force it and hit it – I preferred to stop and reverse. But yeah, not ideal. Still, it was enough to win.”
Ogier explained
Despite the scare, Ogier’s experience and precision carried him through, earning his third win of the season from just four starts and firmly launching him into the 2025 title fight. His performance over the weekend was one of consistency and composure, rather than pure speed. After taking the lead on Friday’s punishing stages, which saw many Rally1 contenders fall away, Ogier managed the gap to Tänak skillfully over the remaining legs.
“It’s a type of rally I like – where precise driving is needed, but also smoothness for tyre management. Thanks to the team – great turnaround after Portugal in terms of speed and set-up, so good job.”
Rally Italia Sardegna 2025 – Top Results
- Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais (FRA) – Toyota GR Yaris – 3h 34m 24.5s
- Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja (EST) – Hyundai i20 N – +7.9s
- Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen (FIN) – Toyota GR Yaris – +50.5s
- Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin (GBR) – Toyota GR Yaris – +5m 05.7s
- Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston (JPN) – Toyota GR Yaris – +7m 29.6s
- Oliver Solberg / Elliott Edmondson (SWE) – Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – +8m 32.9s
Championship Standings Update
With this result, Elfyn Evans’ championship lead over team-mate Ogier is now down to just 17 points, while Kalle Rovanperä—who finished third overall and earned maximum Super Sunday points—slips to third in the standings. Tänak and Thierry Neuville remain fourth and fifth respectively after six of the season’s 14 rounds.
Evans salvaged fourth place despite a delay from a wheel change on Saturday, while Takamoto Katsuta and Oliver Solberg completed the top six. In WRC2, Roberto Daprà and Kajetan Kajetanowicz capitalized on a final-day crash by Emil Lindholm to secure class podium finishes.
What’s Next
The WRC action continues later this month at the legendary EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, based in Lamia from 26 to 29 June 2025. With momentum building and the title race tightening, all eyes will be on the dust, rocks, and rugged terrain of Greece.