Sebastien Ogier Conquers WRC Sardinia with Record-Breaking Win

How did Sebastien Ogier overcome brutal conditions to make history? At the 2025 Rally Italia Sardinia, June 5-8, the Toyota legend clinched his fifth victory, becoming the event’s most successful driver, surpassing Sebastien Loeb. Battling rough gravel, thick dust, and intense pressure from Ott Tanak, Ogier held on for a narrow 6.2-second win. Now second in the standings, will Ogier be tempted to chase a ninth world title?

Ogier seized the lead in the opening stage but lost ground due to dust from Adrien Fourmaux’s puncture, dropping 29.7 seconds. Thierry Neuville’s crash at the Telti-Calangianus-Berchidda stage handed Ogier a 2.1-second lead. Facing Tanak, who won two Saturday afternoon stages, Ogier struck back, winning the day’s final stage by 0.4 seconds. On Sunday, despite a minor error in the last stage, Ogier maintained his lead, finishing 6.2 seconds ahead of Tanak with a total time of 3 hours, 4 minutes, 47.2 seconds. Remarkably, Toyota skipped pre-rally testing, unlike Hyundai.

Toyota Gazoo Racing praised Ogier’s balanced approach to risk and speed in Sardinia’s extreme conditions. Team principal Jari-Matti Latvala called Ogier “incredibly strong” on technical stages. Hyundai, meanwhile, lamented Tanak’s failure to overtake despite closing to 11.1 seconds on Saturday. Neuville and Fourmaux’s exits via crash and puncture weakened Hyundai’s bid to end Toyota’s 2025 dominance. Kalle Rovanpera’s fourth-place finish kept him second in the standings, 30 points behind Elfyn Evans.

Ogier’s win propelled him to second in the drivers’ standings, closing in on Evans, who finished fifth. Despite a part-time schedule, Ogier’s three 2025 victories Portugal, Monte Carlo, and Sardinia make him a serious threat. However, he insists he won’t contest a full season, planning a break after the Acropolis Rally. Hyundai, with only two Sardinia losses since 2016, now trails in the constructors’ championship. Sardinia’s new stages, like Telti-Calangianus, proved ruthless, eliminating six Rally1 crews.

Despite emerging as a title contender, Ogier remains relaxed, savoring the win without chasing a full championship. Speculation about his support for Carlos Sainz Sr.’s FIA presidency bid adds off-track intrigue. Tanak, who narrowly won in 2024 by 0.2 seconds, was disappointed but optimistic for Acropolis. Fourmaux, who lost his shot at a first win, regretted pushing on after his puncture. Sardinia reaffirmed its reputation as an unforgiving rally.

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