Sébastien Ogier emerged victorious at Rally Italia Sardegna, as Toyota extended its dominance in the World Rally Championship with a sixth consecutive win. With his third triumph in four appearances this season, the Frenchman strengthens his position in the race for a ninth world title.
A thrilling battle unfolded on Sardinia’s fast and technical gravel stages between Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) and Ott Tänak (Hyundai), with the French driver securing his fifth win on Italian soil. As in Portugal, Ogier set a new record for victories in this rally. Just three weeks after showing promising pace on Portuguese roads—where Tänak claimed the most stage wins—Hyundai demonstrated its speed once again, seemingly poised to break the reigning champion Toyota’s winning streak. However, despite the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 showing competitive pace on Hankook tyres during the first two days, inconsistency among its drivers proved costly. Tänak was the only Hyundai driver to finish unscathed, while M-Sport Ford suffered a dramatic setback, losing three cars on just the second stage.
The opening leg was eventful, featuring three changes of rally leader and numerous incidents. Four Rally1 drivers (Thierry Neuville, Martinš Sesks, Josh McErlean, and Grégoire Munster) retired due to crashes, and there were spectacular rollovers involving Takamoto Katsuta and Jourdan Serderidis. Hyundai drivers launched an aggressive start and at one point occupied the top three positions. Their lead was short-lived, however, as Neuville struck a wall and lost a wheel in the penultimate stage. Ogier pushed to the limit and seized the rally lead on the final stage of the day, edging ahead of Adrien Fourmaux by 2.1 seconds and Tänak by 7.3 seconds. Championship leader Elfyn Evans struggled to match the pace of the front-runners—not solely due to his position as road sweeper—while Kalle Rovanperä, who started just behind, consistently set faster times.
The second day proved decisive, marked by an intense duel between Ogier and Tänak. Each driver claimed three stage wins, pulling well clear of Rovanperä. By day’s end, Ogier held an 11.1-second lead over Tänak, who found himself alone in challenging a five-strong Toyota contingent following another disappointing outing for Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux.
With only one car in contention for the win, Hyundai elected to secure second place during Sunday’s four remaining stages. Tänak took no risks, allowing Ogier to take the win—although not without a small scare. The Frenchman, an eight-time world champion, briefly went off in the Power Stage: “The wheels dropped into the ditch and I simply couldn’t turn. Since the speed was low, I didn’t force it—I reversed and got out. It wasn’t ideal, but it was enough to win. I really enjoy this rally’s characteristics, where precision and tyre management are key. Since Portugal, the team has done a fantastic job—we now have pace and a balanced car,” said Ogier. Twelve months ago, a puncture in the Power Stage cost him victory by just 0.2 seconds—the smallest margin in WRC history. This year, everything went according to plan as Ogier claimed his 64th WRC win on the Mediterranean island.
Ott Tänak drove at a blistering pace throughout, winning six stages, but admitted: “It was a tough weekend for us. Another very demanding rally for the car—it was hard work.” On the final day, Kalle Rovanperä was given free rein to push. He won both Super Sunday and the Power Stage, clawing back valuable points from Hyundai’s drivers. Overall, it was another commanding performance by Toyota, with two drivers on the podium and four in the top five.
In WRC2, Oliver Solberg (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) capitalised on a late puncture suffered by Nikolay Gryazin (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) in the penultimate stage to secure victory. It was another impressive display from the young Swede, who finished sixth overall. As neither driver had nominated this event to score championship points, Yohan Rossel retains the lead in the WRC2 standings. The World Rally Championship continues with the legendary Acropolis Rally, scheduled from 26 to 29 June.
Final Classification
1st Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1), 3h34:24.5
2nd Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (Hyundai i20N Rally1), +7.9s
3rd Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1), +50.5s
4th Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1), +5m05.7
5th Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1), +7m29.6
6th Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), +8m32.9 (1st Rally2)
Drivers’ Championship Standings
1st Elfyn Evans – 133 points
2nd Sébastien Ogier – 114
3rd Kalle Rovanperä – 113
4th Ott Tänak – 108
5th Thierry Neuville – 89
Manufacturers’ Championship Standings
1st Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT – 312 points
2nd Hyundai World Rally Team – 243
3rd M-Sport Ford World Rally Team – 87
4th Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 – 48