Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais are the winners of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers and Co-Drivers respectively following their third-place end on Rally Saudi Arabia earlier in the present day*.
They beat their Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT team-mates Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin to the crown by 4 factors after one other epic WRC season, as Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe, the outgoing world champions, celebrated their first victory of the season for Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Workforce following a dramatic title showdown within the Center East.
Ogier attracts degree with Sébastien Loeb on 9 titles with Landais claiming his first Co-Drivers’ crown. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT clinched the FIA World Rally Championship for Producers* on final month’s Central European Rally.
How the FIA WRC title battled unfolded in Saudi Arabia
Ogier began the three-stage ultimate day only one place forward of Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT team-mate Elfyn Evans and holding a provisional two-point benefit. However a decisive cost on the penultimate Asfan stage – the place he climbed from sixth to 3rd general – put the title firmly in his grasp.
A measured run by way of the Wolf Energy Stage then sealed the title deal for Ogier and co-driver Landais, who joined forces with Ogier in late 2022.
Ogier’s surge on Asfan got here as in a single day chief Mārtiņš Sesks and Kalle Rovanperä each stopped to vary wheels, whereas Takamoto Katsuta rolled his GR Yaris Rally1.
Evans additionally climbed the order, however the hole between their ultimate positions meant the Welshman was pressured to accept being championship runner-up for a fifth time, falling brief by 4 factors in one of many closest finishes in current reminiscence.
Competing on a part-time foundation, Ogier and Landais’ 2025 marketing campaign has been exceptional. Regardless of lacking three rallies, they claimed wins on greater than half their begins and completed the 12 months with extra stage victories than some other pairing.
“What a season, that is for positive,” 41-year-old Ogier mentioned. “What a combat with Elfyn and Scott, actually. There may be solely a terrific champion when you may have a terrific opponent, they usually’ve been tremendous robust, pushing us to the restrict as much as the final stage of the 12 months. Effectively accomplished to these guys, anyway, and to the entire Toyota Gazoo Racing crew. It’s been such a profitable season. Proud and really blissful to be a part of this household.”
Neuville wrapped up the rally victory – his first of the season – by 54.7sec after shifting previous Sesks on Saturday’s opener. Persistent damper hassle made the closing kilometres tense, however the Belgian stored his i20 N Rally1 away from the chaos behind him. Adrien Fourmaux accomplished a Hyundai 1-2, although the Frenchman was left to rue what might have been a maiden WRC win after a one-minute time penalty for an early check-in dropped him out of the lead on Friday night.
“It has been a brilliant powerful season, however to complete with an surprising victory is clearly a terrific feeling,” Neuville mentioned. “Subsequent season arrives quick. There’s a variety of work left, so we now have a variety of work in entrance of us over the subsequent weeks to be higher ready for subsequent 12 months. It is a powerful problem, however we are going to attempt to maintain preventing. Hopefully we get all of the help we want for a greater 12 months subsequent 12 months.”
Sami Pajari recovered strongly from his Friday wheel change to complete fourth, 8.2sec forward of Katsuta’s battered Toyota, as Evans and Rovanperä positioned sixth and seventh of their comparable GR Yaris Rally1 automobiles.
M-Sport Ford sensation Sesks remained one of many standout tales of the rally. He and co-driver Renars Francis gained 5 levels and led heading into the ultimate day earlier than their double puncture on Asfan value nearly eight minutes. They retired earlier than the ultimate stage, selling Puma Rally1 team-mates Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean to eighth and ninth whereas Oliver Solberg accomplished the highest 10.
There have been wins in FIA WRC2 and FIA WRC3 for Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) and Matteo Fontana/Alessandro Arnaboldi (Ford Fiesta Rally3) respectively.
Nikolai Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) secured the FIA WRC Challenger title* by taking the class victory, whereas first place within the FIA WRC Masters’ Cup went to Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah/Ziad Chehab (Ford Fiesta Rally2). Matteo Fontana/Alessandro Arnaboldi took the FIA WRC3 honours of their Ford Fiesta Rally3. Click on HERE for all outcomes.
FIA Deputy President for Sport Malcolm Wilson, mentioned “The organisers of Rally Saudi Arabia have accomplished a exceptional job. As with every new occasion, it takes time to construct and refine a primary version, however the potential and scope of this rally is large. I’m positive everybody concerned has realized a terrific deal, and the foundations are firmly in place for this occasion to proceed to develop effectively into the long run.
Over 700 volunteers have come collectively to make this occasion occur, and I want to lengthen my private because of all of them. The trouble, dedication and dedication proven by everybody concerned has been evident all through.
This 12 months we now have seen three new occasions be part of the FIA World Rally Championship, and every one has been a transparent success. Their introduction reveals how rallying is constant to develop in reputation, connecting with new followers in areas the place curiosity within the sport is accelerating.”
Tashkent subsequent for Ogier, Landais and Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Ogier, Landais and Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT will likely be introduced with their FIA World Rally Championship-winning trophies on the FIA Awards ceremony in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 12 December. The FIA Awards will likely be broadcast throughout the FIA’s YouTube and social media platforms from 13:00 EST / 18:00 GMT / 19:00 CET.
In the meantime, the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship season will likely be contested over 14 rounds with Rallye Monte-Carlo internet hosting the opening occasion from 22-25 January 22-25.
*Topic to ultimate affirmation
