Sebastien Ogier Clinches Record-Breaking Win at WRC Sardinia

Sebastien Ogier secured a landmark win at Rally Italy Sardinia, claiming his 64th career victory and setting a new record for the most wins at the event. Racing with co-driver Vincent Landais, Ogier steered his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 through 16 rough gravel stages to finish 7.9 seconds ahead of Hyundai’s Ott Tanak.

This marks Ogier’s third win of the 2025 World Rally Championship season and his fifth win in Sardinia, putting him ahead of Sebastien Loeb as the rally’s most successful driver.

The rally started with Ogier, Elfyn Evans, and Kalle Rovanpera taking on the challenging role of opening the road, where loose gravel can make conditions tricky. Despite that, Ogier grabbed the early lead on stage one, only to lose it to Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville during the next test.

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Adrien Fourmaux then moved into the top spot, holding a narrow 2.9-second lead at midday. As the day wore on, the lead changed hands several times.

Neuville’s tough luck continued when a hit during the Telti–Calangianus–Berchidda stage destroyed his car’s left-rear wheel, forcing him to retire early. Ogier took control of the rally after stage six, holding a slim 2.1-second margin over Fourmaux, with Tanak just 7.3 seconds behind despite suffering a broken damper.

Saturday brought even more drama as Fourmaux picked up a puncture and lost nearly four minutes. He attempted to continue but eventually had to stop for repairs, causing dust that slowed Ogier and led to a notional time adjustment by event organizers.

This put Ogier back in front with a 15.0-second lead, while Tanak suffered his own puncture but kept the deficit to 10.5 seconds. The Latvian continued to fight, winning two of Saturday afternoon’s stages.

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Heading into Sunday, Ogier remained in control despite a final-stage scare—a half-spin and a minor collision with a tree. Kalle Rovanpera drove consistently to finish third, 50.5 seconds behind Ogier.

Rovanpera, known for smart driving, stayed out of trouble and secured his third consecutive podium. He also won the Power Stage by 8.1 seconds over Neuville and earned the maximum 10 Super Sunday points.

Evans, who started the rally as the championship leader, struggled as the first on the road on Friday, losing more than a minute. He later picked up a puncture on Saturday but still finished fourth and collected three Super Sunday points.

His lead in the championship dropped from 30 to 19 points with this result. Further down the order, Takamoto Katsuta finished fifth after recovering from a puncture and a slow-speed roll in the same stage that claimed Neuville.

Sami Pajari ran as high as third for Toyota but eventually slipped back to seventh due to a puncture and a spin. Oliver Solberg finished sixth as the top Rally2 runner, although he was not registered for WRC2 points in this event.

Fourmaux managed to rejoin on Sunday but left Sardinia without any points, while Neuville salvaged five Super Sunday points after his earlier misfortune. The event proved difficult for several competitors.

M-Sport-Ford suffered a tough weekend, losing all three works cars to incidents on Friday morning. Martins Sesks rolled, and both Josh McErlean and Gregoire Munster retired due to suspension damage.

McErlean and Munster later rejoined, using the remaining stages as a test in preparation for the upcoming Acropolis Rally Greece. With this victory, Ogier continues to add to his storied WRC record.

His ability to navigate Sardinia’s unpredictable stages and overcome challenges set him apart once again. The fight for the 2025 championship remains close, with both Ogier and Evans as major contenders as the season moves forward.

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.