- Adrien Fourmaux’s lead was briefly taken by Mārtiņš Sesks due to a late time penalty.
- The 2025 FIA World Rally Championship title is now balanced on a single point.
- Sami Pajari and Ott Tänak were forced to stop during the Um Al Jerem stage, impacting their standings.
- Elfyn Evans’ hopes of securing a maiden championship suffered setbacks due to a puncture change.
Rally Saudi Arabia: Drama Continues as Titles Hang in Balance
In a day filled with relentless drama and unexpected twists, the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship title fight has reached its climax at Rally Saudi Arabia. Adrien Fourmaux, who had briefly held a narrow lead over Mārtiņš Sesks after SS14, saw his position dramatically altered by a late time penalty in the technical zone before overnight service.
The incident occurred when Fourmaux and co-driver Alex Coria were one minute early to TC14A, resulting in a 60-second penalty. This adjustment promoted Sesks into top spot ahead of Thierry Neuville and Takamoto Katsuta, while Fourmaux found himself in fourth place, trailing by 57.6 seconds.
Adrenaline-Packed Friday for the FIA World Rally Championship
The day began with a fierce battle between the two leading drivers: Fourmaux and Sesks. On SS14, Fourmaux managed to hold a narrow 2.4-second advantage over Sesks after several changes in leadership throughout the stage. However, as the afternoon progressed, Sesks delivered an impressive eight-second stage win on Um Al Jerem, taking the rally lead.
Despite this surge forward, Sesks faced his own challenges when he encountered a rear-left deflation near Wadi Almatwi, which forced him to nurse the car back to the finish line on the rim.
This incident caused him to lose nearly a minute and dropped him behind Fourmaux once again.
Fourmaux also had his share of troubles, as a front-left deflation prompted him to back off but he managed to keep rolling with his i20 N Rally1. The duo’s positions fluctuated throughout the day before the time penalty reversed their standings in Fourmaux’s favor temporarily.
Championship Battle Intensifies
The deeper narrative of the rally remained centered on the title fight between Elfyn Evans and Sébastien Ogier. Evans, who had been a strong contender for his maiden championship, suffered significant setbacks when he stopped during SS11 to change a puncture, losing over 90 seconds and ending the day in eighth position.
Ogier, starting with a three-point deficit, had been gaining ground until a rear-right deflation on the final stage of SS14 cost him fifth place by just 0.2 seconds to Kalle Rovanperä. Despite this minor slip-up, Ogier holds a provisional one-point championship lead into Saturday’s finale.
Other notable incidents included Sami Pajari and Ott Tänak stopping on the Um Al Jerem stage for wheel changes, which pushed them down the standings.
Pajari tumbled from third to seventh, while Tänak fell outside the top 10. This opened up opportunities for Neuville and Katsuta, who climbed into the overnight podium positions.
Heading Into Saturday
Saturday’s finale features two runs through Thabhan and a single pass over Asfan, the rally’s longest test. With just 65.86 kilometers remaining between the WRC and its 2025 champion, Sesks is chasing his maiden victory out front while Ogier and Evans remain locked in a title battle that will be decided on the season’s final day.
As the rally progresses into its concluding stages, all eyes are on how these high-stakes performances will shape the championship. The drama of Rally Saudi Arabia has only just begun, and the title fight is set to go down to the wire.
