The decisive final round of the 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC) gets underway tomorrow, with three drivers still in contention for the title and no shortage of compelling storylines.
The season finale takes place around Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The service park is located close to the now-familiar Jeddah Corniche Circuit (image below), well known to Formula 1 fans, marking the first time a WRC event has been held in the country.
The rally begins unusually early, with a Wednesday evening super special stage in Jeddah and a finish on Saturday afternoon. In practice, the event starts almost 24 hours earlier than a traditional WRC rally, which usually runs from Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon. The schedule shift reflects the Saudi working week, which runs from Sunday to Thursday, allowing more local fans to follow the action. (Article continues after photo.)
An unknown rally route: stones never far away
Uncertainty looms large over the final round. With no prior competitive data to rely on, teams enter the event with little more than recce notes.
The route itself is highly varied: fast gravel tracks, long straights, sandy sections reminiscent of desert terrain, and technical stretches featuring hairpins and narrow roads. One constant, however, is the ever-present threat of exposed rocks across the 319 kilometres of stages.
Puncture risk is expected to be high, a factor that could dramatically reshape the title fight. (Article continues after photo.)
Elfyn Evans leads the standings with a narrow three-point advantage over Sébastien Ogier. The third title contender, Kalle Rovanperä, sits 24 points behind Evans.
With a maximum of 35 points still available, the championship remains wide open. Rovanperä, though, needs a near-perfect weekend – and misfortune for both Evans and Ogier – to stay in the hunt.
Yet the Finn could still spring a surprise. Evans and Ogier are likely to respond directly to each other’s pace, while countless permutations remain possible, especially with ”Sunday points” (to be awarded on a Saturday this rally) and the Power Stage factored in. Ogier must outscore Evans by at three points to take the title. Should the pair finish tied on points, the Frenchman would be champion thanks to his six rally wins this season, compared with Evans’ two. (Article continues after photo.)
Rich storylines all round
Whichever way it falls, the storylines are phenomenal.
Elfyn Evans could secure his first world title and become Britain’s first WRC champion since Richard Burns lifted the crown in 2001 with the Subaru Impreza S7 WRC. He would be only the third British world rally champion, after Burns and, of course, Colin McRae (1995).
Then there’s Sébastien Ogier, who could draw level with his legendary countryman and former rival Sébastien Loeb. A ninth world title would place Ogier alongside Loeb as the most successful WRC driver of all time.
And the Kalle Rovanperä storyline adds its own intrigue. The 25-year-old Finn could clinch his third world title in what will be his final WRC appearance. The two-time champion announced last month that he will switch to circuit racing after Rally Saudi Arabia. Should he win the title, he would become the third Finn with three or more championships, after Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Mäkinen – moving ahead of greats such as Walter Röhrl, Miki Biasion, Carlos Sainz and fellow Finn Marcus Grönholm, all of whom won the WRC twice.
A spectacular finale awaits. The inaugural WRC Rally of Saudi Arabia begins tomorrow with shakedown at 11:01 local (09:01 CET, 08:01 GMT). SSS1 starts tomorrow at 20:35 local (18:35 CET, 17:35 GMT), with the all-important Power Stage scheduled for Saturday at 13:15 local (11:15 CET, 10:15 GMT).
Photo’s: Red Bull Content Pool, Hyundai Motorsport, M-Sport
