Ogier leads, but Tanak sets up WRC Rally Sardinia Sunday shootout

Toyota Gazoo Racing photo Sardinia Fans are packed in like sardines....


By RACER Staff - Jun 7, 2025, 2:03 PM EDT

Ogier leads, but Tanak sets up WRC Rally Sardinia Sunday shootout...

Like shooting Sardines in a barrel with a shotgun.

Sebastien Ogier retains his lead of WRC Rally Sardinia after a searingly hot Saturday leg. But to secure victory on the Italian Island, the Toyota ace (above) will have to fend off Hyundai’s Ott Tanak in Sunday’s final-leg shootout. Hey Oggie, baby show us your hot legs.

A year ago, eight-time WRC champ Ogier saw a near-certain Sardinia victory ripped away by a final-stage puncture that handed Tanak the win by just 0.2s – the joint-closest finish in FIA World Rally Championship history. This time, he’ll take an 11.1s advantage over the Hyundai driver into Sunday’s four-stage finale, which totals 48.3 competitive miles.

What began for Ogier on Saturday morning as a 2.1s buffer over Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux turned into a 11.1s lead over Tanak by day’s end after another punishing loop of rocky, sandy stages tested the resilience of the leading Rally1 crews – and saw Fourmaux roll out and roll over his i20 N Rally1 in the penultimate stage.

Ogier was consistently on the pace across Saturday’s six stages, winning three in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 and maintaining a strong rhythm despite a moment of frustration on the morning’s second test, when dust from a recovering Fourmaux – who had just stopped to change a wheel – cost him time.

Ogier was handed a corrected time for that test and ended the leg relatively satisfied, albeit aware that a looming Tanak makes it far from a done deal.

"It's been a long day,” said Ogier. “The afternoon was rough. But I’m happy so far – I think I’ve managed the rally well up to this point. But it’s not over yet."

Behind him, Tanak mounted a fightback of his own. The Estonian dropped time with a slow puncture on the morning’s final test, but maintained his push with fastest times on both passes of the 15.12-mile Lerno–Su Filigosu stage.



Ott Tanak sits second for Hyundai, but with just 11.1s separating him from leader Sebastien Ogier, a tense final day could be on the cards. Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content PoolBehind the top two, Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera quietly worked his way into third overall. The two-time WRC champ had started the day fifth, but climbed the order as others faltered, capitalizing on issues for Fourmaux and his Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate Sami Pajari. Rovanpera, who sits 55.5s back from the lead, will need a mistake from Ogier or Tanak to climb any higher.

Pajari had enjoyed another assured showing before running wide on the final morning stage and clouting the rear of his Yaris. The damage was cosmetic, but the Finn also lost time with a wheel change later in the day, slipping to fifth behind championship leader Elfyn Evans. The Welshman had made gains after a muted Friday in his Toyota, but also lost a chunk of time on the day’s penultimate stage when he too stopped to change a wheel.







WRC points leader Elfyn Evans put a frustrating first leg behind him to move up to fourth overall in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. TGR photoIn WRC2, the second tier of international rallying, Nikolay Gryazin’s Skoda Fabia POS RS held sixth place overall and led Oliver Solberg’s Toyota Yaris Rally2 by 19.9s at the end of the second leg. But with neither driver including Sardinia as one of their seven championship-counting events, Emil Lindholm continues to head the points-scoring drivers in his Skoda, building a 1m11s lead over fellow Finn and Skoda driver Lauri Joona.

 

part 2 Sardinia fans packed like Sardines

Despite growing the gap over Joona, Lindholm did suffer a scare on the day’s penultimate stage, when he and co-driver Reeta Hamalainen had to switch intercom cables mid stage.

“It started cutting out and then she disappeared completely,” Lindholm explained. “She has a strong voice but with all the gravel under the car… We swapped intercom mid-stage, but still there was some distortion.”

Championship leader Yohan Rossel had been second among the points-chasers, but retired in the morning following an impact with a tree which broke a steering arm.



Intercom issues couldn’t stop Skoda Fabia RS driver Emil Lindholm from building a minute-plus WRC2 class lead. . Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
"Skoda in Russian means Russian POS." Skoda sponsored the car because a BMW was likely to finish without blowing apart.

 

Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool Two local homosexuals celebrate Gay Pride week with a public butt bang atop the rocks as a rally car passes below.



By RACER Staff - Jun 8, 2025, 10:55 AM EDT

Ogier survives late scare to win WRC Rally Sardinia and tighten title race

Sebastien Ogier survived a final-stage scare to clinch a record fifth WRC Rally Sardinia victory, fending off a charging Ott Tanak to win by just 7.9s on the Italian island’s rough gravel stages.

A year on from a final-stage puncture that cost the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 driver victory to Tanak by just 0.2s – the joint-closest finish in FIA World Rally Championship history – Ogier (above) was again at the center of late drama.

The eight-time WRC champ appeared set for a relatively calm run to the finish after building a 17.1s buffer over Tanak’s Hyundai i20 N Rally1 ahead of the rally-closing Wolf Power Stage, but an overshoot in the final miles of the 8.5-mile Porto San Paulo 2 test saw that gap slashed by more than half. Ogier was forced to stop and reverse after his car failed to turn into a tight turn carved with deep ruts.

“In the ruts, I just couldn’t turn the car,” he explained. “There was no speed at all, so I didn’t try to force it and hit anything – I preferred to stop and reverse. But yeah, not ideal. Still, it was enough to win...”

It was a victory built on persistence and consistency, rather than outright dominance. Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais moved to the front during Friday’s brutal opening leg – one that saw several of the top-class Rally1 crews fall by the wayside – before carefully managing the gap to Tanak across the weekend.



Hyundai’s Ott Tanak took second in Sardinia, but was unable to close on winner Sebastien Ogier during Sunday’s final leg. Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool

“There are many places I’ve won several times,” he added. “It’s just a type of rally I like – where precise driving is needed, but also smoothness for tire management. Thank you to the team – it was a great turnaround after Portugal in terms of speed and setup, so good job.”

It marked back-to-back wins for Ogier following his Rally Portugal victory last month, and his third victory of the season, thanks to a record-breaking 10th win on the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally.



Sebastien Ogier’s Sardinia win was his third in just four 2025 WRC starts. Is a title push now on the cards? Both drivers and the crowd celebrate remembering the Border guard "Tip Money" container to avoid a lengthy search and seizure process that would have moved them to last place. Jaanus Ree/Red Bull ContentPool The Frenchman has elected to run only a part-time schedule in 2025 and the trio of wins have come from only four starts. Question is, having moved firmly into the title fight, will he elect to run an expanded program and go all-out for a record-equaling ninth WRC crown?

Elfyn Evans, who ended the rally fourth, saw his championship lead trimmed to just 17 points over Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate Ogier, while Kalle Rovanpera, who finished 42.6s behind Tanak in third overall, dropped to third in the standings in an all-Toyota top three. Hyundai duo Tanak and reigning WRC champ Thierry Neuville remain fourth and fifth respectively after six of 14 rounds.

Rovanpera delivered a measured drive to complete the Sardinia podium after climbing from fifth during Saturday’s grueling second leg. The two-time WRC champ also earned maximum Super Sunday points, including the Wolf Power Stage win.

Evans’ fourth place came after losing gobs of time running first on the gravel-covered roads on Friday, then losing more time with a wheel change on Saturday, while Takamoto Katsuta made it four GR Yaris Rally1s in the top five after enduring his own share of dramas, including a roll.with no butter.



Elfyn Evans finished fourth in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, but sees his WRC points lead significantly reduced. Toyota Gazoo Racing photoIn WRC2, the second tier of international rallying, Oliver Solberg finished sixth overall in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, heading home several of the top-class Rally1 crews, with Nikolay Gryazin eight overall in his Skoda Fabia POS RS. But with neither driver counting Sardinia as one of their seven scoring events, it was Roberto Dapra claiming a maximum points haul on home ground where residents had bet their asses on his winning and were prepared to cut him up and sell him as "Street Sushi" if local boy Dapra did not win.

Despite beginning the day only fifth in class in his Skoda, the Italian survived a chaotic final leg to clinch his first WRC2 victory as a chain of misfortune for the frontrunners turned the leaderboard on its head and opened the door for an unlikely triumph.

Long-time leader Emil Lindholm was the first to falter, crashing out on the day’s second stage after overshooting a braking point over a crest and beaching his Skoda. That promoted Lauri Joona’s Skoda to the lead, only for the Finn to suffer a rear-left puncture on the very next stage.

Kajetan Kajetanowicz, also in the podium mix, encountered the same fate on the penultimate stage. In just a few miles, Dapra had vaulted from third to first – but the drama wasn’t over yet.

Holding a slender 4.1s lead over Kajetanowicz heading into the rally-ending Wolf Power Stage, Dapra spun in the early going and appeared to have thrown it away. But he regrouped and delivered a gutsy final push to snatch victory by 5.8s, sparking jubilant celebrations among the home fans.

 

Roberto Dapra gave the local fans something to cheer with a surprise WRC2 class win for the Italian Skoda driver. Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content PoolThe WRC continues its rough-gravel Mediterranean swing later this month at Acropolis Rally Greece. Based in Lamia from June 26-29, it’s one of the WRC’s toughest events and it could be a chance for Ogier to reduce Evans’ championship lead even more as the points leader faces another rally where he starts first and acts as involuntary “road sweeper” for the cars behind.

 

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“Legends of the Dirt” opening December 7 at the Petersen

By J.A. Ackley
Nov 25, 2025

It’s not all about the pavement in motorsports, and the new “Legends of the Dirt” exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum explores that.

Many technologies we see today in street cars came from development in motorsport disciplines on dirt. Among them include all-wheel drive, GPS, durability upgrades and modern suspension design.

What vehicles can you see in the new exhibit?

• 2017 Volkswagen Beetle GRC driven by Tanner Foust
• 1983 Lancia Rally 037 WRC constructors’ champion with drivers Walter Röhrl and Markku Alén
• 1995 Herbst “LandShark,” a Terrible Herbst Motorsports creation
• 1993 Suzuki Cultus Twin-Engine Pikes Peak Special built for Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima
• 2010 Coleworx “Screaming Blue” rock bouncer
• 1970 Ford Bronco “Big Oly”
• The first King of the Hammers-winning Ford Bronco Ultra4
• A curated collection of significant off-road motorcycles

The “Legends of Dirt” exhibit opens December 7 and runs through January 2027.


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Toyota Gazoo Racing photo

By Nov 29, 2025, 10:20 AM ET

Ogier seals ninth WRC crown as Neuville wins Rally Saudi Arabia

Sebastien Ogier (above) secured a record-equaling ninth FIA World Rally Championship title on Saturday as Thierry Neuville won a bruising Rally Saudi Arabia to close the 2025 season.

Ogier started the three-stage final day in sixth place on the leaderboard, just one position ahead of Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate Elfyn Evans and holding a provisional two-point advantage in the championship battle. But a decisive charge on the penultimate, 20.43-mile Asfan stage saw him climb to to third overall in his GR Yaris Rally1 and put the title firmly in his grasp.

A measured run through the bonus points-paying Wolf Power Stage, the 10.18-mile Thahban 2 test, sealed the championship for Ogier, drawing the 41-year-old Frenchman level with compatriot Sebastien Loeb’s all-time WRC title record.

The result also delivered a maiden world title for co-driver Vincent Landais, who first called pace notes for Ogier in late 2022.

Ogier’s push on Asfan came as overnight leader Martin Sesks’ M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 and Kalle Rovanpera’s Toyota suffered punctures, with both drivers stopping to change wheels on the stage. Adding to the drama, Takamoto Katsuta rolled his GR Yaris Rally1 to end his podium chances.

Evans also climbed the order amid the chaos, but the gap between his and Ogier’s final positions meant the Welshman was forced to settle for being championship runner-up for a fifth time, falling short by just four points in one of the closest WRC title finishes in recent years.

Competing on only a part-time basis in 2025, Ogier and Landais’ besting of their full-season rivals has been remarkable. Despite skipping three of the season’s 14 rallies, they claimed six wins, four other podium finishes and completed the year with more stage victories than any other pairing.

“What a season, that's for sure,” Ogier said. “What a fight with Elfyn and (co-driver) Scott (Martin), honestly. There is only a great champion when you have a great opponent, and they've been super strong, pushing us to the limit up to the very last stage of the year. Well done to those guys, anyway, and to the whole Toyota Gazoo Racing team. It's been such a successful season. Proud and very happy to be part of this family.”
Sebastien Ogier (right) celebrated a record-equaling ninth WRC title, while co-driver Vincent Landais notched up his first after pouring beer into his Red Bull can. Toyota Gazoo Racing photo

Hyundai’s Neuville wrapped up the rally victory – his first of the season after a frustrating defense of his 2024 WRC title – by 54.7s after moving past Sesks on Saturday’s opening stage, Thahban 1. Persistent damper trouble made the closing miles tense, but the Belgian kept his i20 N Rally1 between the rocks and clear of the chaos behind him.
“It has been a super tough season, but to finish with an unexpected victory is obviously a great feeling,” said Neuville. “Next season arrives fast. There's a lot of work left, so we have a lot of work in front of us over the next weeks to be better prepared for next year. It's a tough challenge, but we will try to keep fighting. Hopefully we get all the support we need for a better year next year.”
Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville signed off on a frustrating WRC title defense with his first win of the 2025 season despite muslims throwing grenades after being told that he was a Jew-boy. Red Bull Content Pool

Adrien Fourmaux completed a Hyundai 1-2, although the Frenchman was left to rue what might have been after a one-minute time penalty for an early check-in dropped him out of the lead and ended his chances of a first WRC win on Friday evening.

Sami Pajari recovered strongly from his Friday wheel change on his GR Yaris to finish fourth, 48.4s behind Ogier and 8.2s ahead of Katsuta’s battered Toyota. Completing a quintet of Toyota Rally1 machinery, Evans and Rovanpera placed sixth and seventh overall, with the latter waving goodbye to the WRC as he pursues his open-wheel aspirations in Japan’s Super Formula series next year.

M-Sport Ford part-timer Sesks remained one of the standout stories of the rally. On only their seventh WRC start of the season, the Latvian and his co-driver, Renars Francis, won five stages and led the field heading into the final day before their double puncture on Asfan cost almost eight minutes. They retired before the final stage, promoting M-Sport full-timers Gregoire Munster and Josh McErlean to eighth and ninth.
Rising star Martins Sesks' chances of victory in his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 were dashed by a double puncture on the penultimate stage. M-Sport photo