In the unfamiliar territory of Saudi Arabia, the new country added to the WRC program, this year’s world champion will be decided from today (26/11) until Saturday (29/11) between Elfiin Evans, Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanpera.
Whichever of the three Toyota Gazoo Racing stars celebrates the title on Saturday afternoon will have a special story to tell: for Evans it will be his first championship, for Ogier the title that will equal the 9 of the great Sébastien Loeb, and for Rovanpera the perfect finale before saying goodbye to rallying for a new career in single-seater racing from 2026.
In the standings, Evans leads with 272 points, Ogier follows him close behind with 269, while Rovanpera is the outsider with 248. The maximum that a driver can get from the race is 35 points with the general classification, Super Sunday and the final test of the Power Stage.
Based on the above, Evans takes the championship if he loses a maximum of two points to Ogier in the last race. Ogier needs to beat him by at least three, and with six wins to two he has the advantage in the tie. Rovanpera needs almost maximum points and at the same time bad luck for his two Toyota counterparts.
The step into the unknown in this race adds more parameters of uncertainty to the title finale. The race around Jeddah brings fast dirt tracks into the desert, over 300 racing kilometers with no previous data. Super Sunday, with the finale of the repeated Thabhan ED as a Power Stage, gives the contenders one last chance to turn the tide in both the race and the championship.
An unprecedented test
All of this will take place in unprecedented territory, as the Saudi Rally enters the WRC programme for the first time this year – and in conditions that are already set to be very tough for the crews and the cars.
“Yes, maybe the word is adventure. Or even lottery,” admitted Ogier. “Even here, honestly, we all spoke together because we have safety concerns in some places. It’s too extreme. It’s not exactly the place where you want a championship to be decided.”
Evans, meanwhile, is expecting a number of surprises. “I think it’s almost impossible to go full throttle from start to finish without having a problem. You have to use your brain. You also need a bit of luck to get through,” the Welshman said.
Rovanpera added, speaking about the Saudi Arabian Special Stages after the reconnaissance: “They are much tougher than I expected. They looked better in the videos. The roads have been prepared well, but they will break down very easily. The ground is hard in many places, I think there will be a lot of stones.”
The path of the 2026 title contenders
The three duelists in this year’s championship have arrived in Jeddah by different routes. Evans’ season has been built on consistency. The Welshman has started all 13 rallies and finished in all of them, collecting eight podiums and two wins.
The foundations were laid early: second behind Ogier in Monte Carlo, followed by consecutive victories in Sweden and Safari, where he prevailed over Hyundai’s Tänak and Neville in one of the toughest editions of the race. After three rounds he already had two wins, three podiums and a clear points lead.
The picture was then less explosive but decisive. Third in the Canaries behind Rovanpera and Ogier, sixth in Portugal and fourth in Sardinia – making up for the disadvantage of his first starting position in the stages. The Welshman was also fourth in Acropolis and failed to score any significant points in Estonia and Finland.
With two wins, seven podiums and no retirements in 13 rounds, Evans’ consistency is the reason he still holds the top spot in a year where his arch-rival has won almost half the races.
TGR WRT / McKlein
Ogier, for his part, did not run a full programme, but from the second half of the year it became clear that he could build his title bid this year. The Frenchman has only lost three of the rallies he has started this year – Sweden, Kenya and Estonia – yet he arrives in Saudi Arabia with six wins and a realistic chance of a ninth title.
He started with a victory in Monte Carlo for the 10th time, finished second behind Rovanpera in the Canaries, and has since won in Portugal ahead of Tänak and repeated the same scenario in Sardinia. Two podium finishes, in Acropolis and Finland, brought him closer to Evans, before he took two victories in South America – in Paraguay and Chile.
The only setback was his exit from the Central Europe Rally, but he responded perfectly in Japan by winning the rally, Super Sunday and the Power Stage for a 35/35 record, closing the gap on Evans to three points. With six wins, nine podiums and just one serious mistake, Ogier looks the hottest contender – and has the advantage of being tied thanks to more wins.
Rovanpera arrives in Saudi Arabia with the biggest gap to cover. His season has had its peaks, speed and victories, but also two heavy losses of points: the retirement at Safari and the bad weekend at Acropolis.
After fourth place in Monte and fifth in Sweden, he took the lead in the Canaries where he won 15 Special Stages and comfortably prevailed in the race over Ogier and Evans. Two third places in Portugal and Sardinia kept him close, before electrical problems stopped him at Safari.
In Greece came the second big blow as he went off the road on Saturday and was left without any meaningful points. He responded in Finland with an impressive victory ahead of Ogier, but the results in South America were not as good.
Victory at the Central European Rally has put him back in the hunt, and third place in Japan mathematically keeps him in the game, but with 24 points to cover and only 35 available, he needs a near-perfect result.
