French driver Sébastien Ogier enters the final round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) in Saudi Arabia poised to clinch a record-tying ninth title, despite trailing championship leader Elfyn Evans by just three points.
Ogier, an eight-time WRC champion with victories in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021, is widely considered the favorite for the winner-take-all event.
A victory would place him alongside his compatriot Sébastien Loeb, who holds the current record with nine WRC titles won consecutively from 2004 to 2012.
The Toyota Yaris driver has demonstrated dominance in the rallies he has competed in this season, outperforming Evans in nine of their ten head-to-head encounters.
Ogier has participated part-time in the WRC since 2022, missing three of the 12 events this year while securing wins in Monte Carlo, Portugal, Italy, Paraguay, Chile, and Japan.
Britain’s Elfyn Evans, also driving a Toyota Yaris, leads the standings with 272 points, followed by Ogier with 269.
Evans, a four-time WRC vice-champion in 2020, 2021, and 2023, has never secured a world title, despite accumulating 11 career WRC victories.
“We are going to Saudi Arabia knowing that everything is still open in the championship,” Evans said. “Seb is a tough opponent and is competing at a very high level.”
Evans, who has two wins this season in Sweden and Kenya, has consistently finished in the top six, including four second-place finishes in the last four rallies. He has not won a rally since the third round of the season.
Defending two-time champion Kalle Rovanperä of Finland remains mathematically in contention but faces a steep challenge, 24 points behind Evans.
A maximum of 35 points is available in the final rally, including points for the overall win, power stage, and final day performance.
“For us, the championship is no longer really in our hands, but we still have an opportunity, so we’ll see how it goes,” Rovanperä stated.
The Saudi Arabia Rally is expected to be Rovanperä’s last WRC event before he transitions to single-seater racing.
The event, based in Jeddah, marks the first time the WRC has held a rally in Saudi Arabia, making the conditions unfamiliar for all competitors.
Ogier acknowledged the unpredictability of the new course. “Nobody has much experience about what the stages are like there, so there could be potential for many surprises,” he said.
Rovanperä echoed concerns about the new terrain. “The stages seem quite complicated, with many stones along the way, so there could be a high probability of something happening to any of the drivers.”
The rally begins Wednesday with a 5.22-kilometer super special stage.
Thursday will feature seven timed stages covering 107 kilometers.
On Friday, drivers will tackle six special stages totaling 141.72 kilometers. The championship concludes Saturday with three stages spanning 65.66 kilometers.