Sébastien Ogier extended his winning record at Rally Portugal after claiming a seventh victory on the event while Toyota continued its flawless start to the 2025 season with a fifth win in as many rounds.
Co-driven by Vincent Landais, Ogier completed the four-day gravel classic 8.7sec ahead of Hyundai’s Ott Tänak, with GR Yaris Rally1 colleague Kalle Rovanperä a further 3.5sec back in third.
Ogier’s 63rd WRC win looked far from certain until late drama on Saturday. Having shadowed long-time leader Tänak throughout the rally, the Frenchman inherited the top spot when the Estonian’s i20 N Rally1 suffered a power steering failure on Amarante 2. The issue dropped Tänak to third overnight and handed Ogier a 27.6sec lead over Rovanperä heading into Sunday.
Despite spirited drives from both Tänak and Rovanperä on the final day – Tänak taking maximum Super Sunday points and reclaiming second on the penultimate test – neither could dislodge the eight-time world champion.
Toyota’s dominance remains unbroken, with Ogier, Rovanperä and Elfyn Evans each scoring victories so far in 2025.
“I think it’s something I can be proud of, the way I have managed to stay competitive after all these years,” said Ogier after the finish. “Thanks to the team – it was great to drive this weekend.
“Ott was just flying [like] crazy, but maybe a bit too much actually – I don’t know. On our side, race management is definitely a craft we have, so I’m happy. Seven times here in Portugal, not too bad.”
Rovanperä now 30 points behind Evans in championship
Rovanperä’s result trimmed Evans’ championship lead to 30 points with nine rounds remaining. Ogier, competing on a part-time programme, now holds third overall, with Tänak climbing to fourth.
Defending champion Thierry Neuville finished fourth, 26.3sec behind team-mate Tänak. The Belgian battled a persistent “loose rear end” and slipped to fifth in the championship standings.
Takamoto Katsuta endured a frustrating rally, further compounded by a spin on the penultimate stage. The Japanese driver had run as high as second on Friday but ended up more than a minute behind Neuville in fifth.
Evans salvaged sixth overall, overtaking Sami Pajari on Sunday. He ended 7.3sec clear of the young Finn, having struggled to make headway after road-sweeping duties on Friday hampered his chances.
M-Sport Ford’s Josh McErlean impressed with one of his most consistent performances yet, finishing eighth and leading home team-mate Grégoire Munster as WRC2 winner Oliver Solberg completed the top 10.
The WRC 2025 championship resumes with Rally Italia Sardegna, based in Olbia from 5 – 8 June, where more hot weather and punishing gravel roads await.
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WRC Rally de Portugal 2025 – Final results
| # | Drivers | Car | Time / Diff to 1st |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ogier / Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 3:48:35.9 |
| 2. | Tänak / Järveoja | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | +8.7 |
| 3. | Rovanperä / Halttunen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +12.2 |
| 4. | Neuville / Wydaeghe | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | +38.5 |
| 5. | Katsuta / Johnston | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +1:41.9 |
| 6. | Evans / Martin | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +2:31.0 |
| 7. | Pajari / Salminen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +2:38.3 |
| 8. | McErlean / Treacy | Ford Puma Rally1 | +5:12.3 |
| 9. | Munster / Louka | Ford Puma Rally1 | +5:57.5 |
| 10 | Solberg / Edmondson | Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 | +9:15.1 |
WRC 2025 Drivers’ Championship – Standings after Round 5/14 [Top 10]
| # | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Elfyn Evans | 118 |
| 2. | Kalle Rovanperä | 88 (-30) |
| 3. | Sébastien Ogier | 86 (-32) |
| 4. | Ott Tänak | 84 (-34) |
| 5. | Thierry Neuville | 78 (-40) |
| 6. | Takamoto Katsuta | 51 (-67) |
| 7. | Adrien Fourmaux | 44 (-74) |
| 8. | Sami Pajari | 25 (-93) |
| 9. | Grégoire Munster | 18 (-100) |
| 10. | Joshua McErlean | 12 (-106) |
WRC 2025 Manufacturers’ Championship – Standings after Round 5/14
| # | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT | 258 |
| 2. | Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT | 203 (-55) |
| 3. | M-Sport Ford WRT | 72 (-186) |
| 4. | Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT 2 | 36 (-222) |
Content, photo: Red Bull Content Pool
