We came then to the final day of action for this rally and the whole season. Four stages would decide the rally winner and also the crew to become World Rally Champions. Martins and Renars would return to the action and open the road through the 61 kilometres.

 

First up then would be SS14 Osilo – Tergu 1 and it was a good start for rally leaders Oliver and Elliott who set the pace from Sami and Marko whilst Adrien was third. Elfyn and Scott would set the fourth best time from Seb and Vincent. There was a couple of stops for Josh and Eoin in the stage as they had smoke in the Puma. They did complete the stage; they were just making sure they did not get in the way of the three championship challengers. It turned out that they didn’t actually have a problem with their car and the smoke was being caused by oil on the exhaust.

 

Next came the dress rehearsal for the power stage, SS15 Sassari – Argentiera 1 and it was really interesting that Thierry and Takamoto set the best times from Elfyn giving them the top three in the stage, whilst Oliver was only fifth fastest even slower than Adrien and it looked as if the road, particularly near the end of the stage was getting into such bad condition meant that they were actually unable to beat the times set by the earlier crews.

 

Onto SS16 Osilo – Tergu 2 and it was a stage win for Sami from Seb and Oliver, but there was drama for Elfyn and Scott who had just gone through the first split point and over a section of road heavily covered in large rocks and stones. This caused the front right-hand wheel to puncture, and they stopped to change the wheel. They kept the time loss to the minimum, but of course although they kept sixth overall this did mean that they would not feature in the super Sunday points standings. This meant they would need to beat Oliver and Elliott in the power stage to win the championship given that the Swede with his British co-driver were on course to win the rally. They still had a lead of almost a minute over Seb and Vincent, last year’s champions.

 

We came then to the final stage, SS17 Sassari – Argentiera 2 – Powerstage and this was it, time to decide this championship. Well, what we saw was Thierry set the pace before Elfyn came through and set the second fastest time at that point, but he was not confident that it was enough to win the championship.

 

Adrien was next to finish and could not beat Elfyn’s time. Did this mean the road was getting slower and what would that mean for Oliver and Elliott? Well, Sami and Marko came through and beat the time set by Elfyn and Scott, before Seb and Vincent finished the stage with the sixth best time but they were clearly not pushing very hard.

 

Finally, Oliver and Elliott started the stage and on the splits were quicker than the best time set by Elfyn and as they came down the road onto the final stretch of stage they were set to beat the time set by their teammates and championship rivals. They were barely a few hundred metres from the flying finish and stage end, when suddenly under acceleration the Yaris started to spin and in an attempt to bring the car under control it spun. It was too late though as the car went off the road onto the bushes lining the road and the car even looked like at one moment it was about to roll. Somehow they got back to the road and finished the stage, but only with the eighth best time. This meant that Elfyn and Scott had secured the 2026 World Rally Championship.

Oliver and Elliott has still taken victory, their third of the year with Seb and Vincent second and Sami and Marko in third, a Toyota one, two, three!

Let’s hear then from the drivers and take a look at the final finishing positions.

Rally Italia Sardegna Final Classification

1	O. Solberg	E. Edmondson	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	3:24:57.0
2	S. Ogier	V. Landais	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+57.6
3	S. Pajari	M. Salminen	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+1:37.4
4	A. Fourmaux	A. Coria	Hyundai i20 N Rally1	+2:38.6
5	E. Evans	S. Martin	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+4:48.1
6	T. Katsuta	A. Johnston	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+6:02.4
7	J. Armstrong	S. Byrne	Ford Puma Rally1	+7:32.2
8	R. Korhonen	A. Viinikka	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	+12:10.4
9	R. Virves	J. Viilo	Skoda Fabia RS	+12:11.1
10	G. Greensmith	J. Andersson	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	+13:02.2

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Oliver Solberg

“First of all, I want to say congratulations to Elfyn and Scott. They deserve this for sure, they have been very consistent all season. That I even had a shot with my rollercoaster of a season feels incredible. I started to believe more and more through the weekend, and to get so close, it’s tough. In the Power Stage I knew I had to push hard to beat Elfyn, but I wasn’t sure I was doing enough, so I tried pushing even more. Then I made a small mistake at the end, couldn’t save the car and we went off. For my first season with this team, I’m still proud of what we could achieve. I’ve given my heart and tried everything until the very end, and hopefully I have a few more chances to try again.”

Sébastien Ogier

“You could not have scripted a more dramatic finish than what we saw today. In rallying we all know that it’s never over until it’s over. Congratulations to Elfyn and Scott: they have worked so hard over so many years and nobody deserves it more than them. I know that it’s hard for Oliver and Elliott right now after getting so close, but they have impressed all of us with their speed this season and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they are also world champions. Thank you to everyone in the team for this season and the last five years with this car. It’s amazing to work with you and to always be able to count on a fast and reliable car.”

Sami Pajari

“This was a really dramatic end to the season, and even if I didn’t have my best rally here, I’m super happy for Elfyn and Scott: they really deserve this. For my second year at this level, I think I can be very happy with our season, and with our nine podiums and three wins. After an extremely difficult start in Monte Carlo, we took stage wins in almost every rally, got closer and closer in the title fight and in the end we were only six points away. We’re still young, so hopefully we have the chance to chase titles again in the future. I gave everything on the last stage with this car: a big thank you to the whole team and everyone supporting us.”

Elfyn Evans

“It’s still not really sinking in yet that we’ve managed to get the championship across the line after such a wild final day. We came into it knowing it would be tight and tried what we could today, but there was massive cleaning on the first stage. We managed to pull back some time on the second, but then at the start of the third there were rocks everywhere and we tried to pull our way through, but immediately we punctured. Then we had to lay it all on the line for the Power Stage. It was a messy run, so I was pretty sure I hadn’t done enough, and Oliver was coming quicker until he had that moment near the end. I feel sorry for him and Elliott because they drove an incredible weekend. But we didn’t only win it there, it was a whole year’s worth of work and I think it’s a championship to be proud of. It’s a bit of a relief after coming close so many times, and I’ve got a lot of people to thank for backing me through the years, especially Scott and the team.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“A big thank you to the whole team that we managed to finish this tough rally. It was such a difficult start with punctures on Friday, but at the end we could finish P6 and have some fun in the last rally with this car, which has been so successful with so much effort behind it from the whole team. Our season started well with two wins and even if we couldn’t keep up the fight in the championship, it was great to see such a fight between my team-mates right until the last corners. Big congratulations to Elfyn and Scott, and also to Oliver and Elliott and Sami and Marko; they have all done a fantastic job and I hope to keep fighting with them in future.”

 

Hyundai Motorsport

Adrien Fourmaux

“Congratulations to Elfyn on his championship win, and commiserations to Oliver – his time will come. For me, I didn’t quite get the first win I wanted, but I will always remember Saudi Arabia last year. This has been a tough season, but I scored some nice podiums. It’s been a fantastic two years driving the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 and fighting at the top; we had the pace, particularly on gravel, and we ended the year not far off the Toyotas despite the issues we’ve had this season. I’d like to say a huge thank you for the team; I’m very proud of our performance.”

Thierry Neuville

“I’m super disappointed for the weekend, but happy to end the season with a final Power Stage victory. It’s been a challenging year, so I’d like to say a huge thank you to the team – they did amazing. We’ve been together for 13 seasons, been through a lot of highs and lows, and these past two years have been tough, yet the team has remained committed and motivated. I’m pleased we were able to bring home one victory for them this year – and it was very nearly two. Finally, congratulations to Elfyn, he has been close so many times deserves the title. Oliver also did so well this weekend, and it nearly paid off, so well done to him as well.”

 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Jon Armstrong

“So, Rally Sardegna is finished. It was my first time here, so I didn’t know what to expect, but on recce it was very challenging to understand how fast to drive, and then the roads were really rough when we got there.

“We just had a strategy to stay out of trouble and get to the finish of the rally, so that’s the goal achieved.

“It’s been really cool to be part of the last event with the Rally1 car. Overall, the season has had some highs, but a lot of lows. I think we can be happy with our potential, and hopefully we’ll be able to put the experience we’ve gained this year into improving again next year.

Overall, not too bad, and thanks to the team and all the sponsors for their dedication and efforts to help us achieve what we have this year.”

Mārtiņš Sesks

“Two and a half years done. It’s been an incredible experience to be part of this, to be part of the elite of world rallying. We’ve had some really high highs and also some low points, but looking back at it, I think it’s been great for the future.

“We’ve already tested many things in the sport, so let’s see what next year brings and what the future brings. I just want to say thank you to everyone who’s been with us, and let’s see what happens.”

Josh McErlean

“What a way to end the season. Watching that Power Stage from a fan perspective was quite incredible, seeing Elfyn and Scotty win the championship like that.

“But yeah, that’s what this sport brings. Our rally was going quite well until, unfortunately, we hit a tree on Saturday evening. The team did a terrific job to change the engine overnight, with not much time to spare.

“It’s been a rollercoaster of a year, so I’m really thankful to have been in Rally1 for two years now. Let’s see what the future holds, but there have been many great friends and memories made.”

 

2026 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings
After round 13

1	E. Evans	243
2	O. Solberg	238
3	S. Pajari	237
4	S. Ogier	189
5	A. Fourmaux	183
6	T. Katsuta	175
7	T. Neuville	134
8	H. Paddon	38
9	J. McErlean	35
10	E. Lappi	33

2026 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
After round 13

1	Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team	662
2	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	440
3	Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team 2	251
4	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	168

Summary

What an amazing three days of competition we were treated to then, with a battle between the top crews of this championship for victory of the rally and also for the championship crown.

 

Oliver and Elliott did everything they could to not just win the rally, but also this season’s championship and it really did come down to the last few hundred metres. They took the lead from Thierry and Martijn and really didn’t look back. The incident at the end of the final stage was hugely disappointing for them, but they will definitely challenge for the title  in the future.

 

Seb and Vincent had a quiet rally to second overall. There were stage wins along the way, but it was a drive to keep his teammates in the championship fight in the spotlight. They even didn’t push very hard throughout Sunday’s stages just in order it seems to avoid taking points from Elfyn, Sami or Oliver.

 

Sami and Marko took yet another podium and it was a good drive from the young Finnish crew. They came into the weekend as a championship hopeful but were not quite able to fight right near the front for the title. They came into the weekend closest to Elfyn and Scott yet finished in third place in the championship. They will be back though and will challenge for the championship again.

 

Finally, we have to highlight the drive by Elfyn and Scott to the 2026 World Rally Championship. They opened the road again throughout Friday and finished the day in sixth overall. They then kept themselves in the window throughout Saturday and despite losing fourth to Adrien and Alex at the end of the day, they were right there on Sunday to take the fight onto the last few stages. Then when they had the stop to change the wheel in the penultimate stage, they laid it all on the line in the final stage and it gave them the chance to take the title so then when Oliver and Elliott went off the road, it was enough to take the championship by five points.

They join Colin and Derek, champions in 1995, Richard and Robert, champions in 2001 as British World Rally Champions and Elfyn is the first title winner from Wales.

The second day then of this hugely important rally for the title challengers and they, plus their fellow teammates and rivals would have just under 124 kilometres over six stages to face. Dani and Patricia returned to the action following their exit yesterday and would open the road.

 

First up then was SS8 Lerno – Sa Conchedda – Monti di Ala’ 1 and Thierry started the day strongly setting the fastest time from Oliver and Seb, whilst Sami and Elfyn would be fourth and fifth. Unfortunately, Adrien and Alex fell from second place after getting a puncture. They continued to the end of the stage without changing the wheel and lost a minute. The chance for victory had gone for the French duo and they emerged in fifth position.

 

Next up then was SS9 Coiluna – Loelle 1 and this time Oliver set the pace from Seb and Adrien, whilst the rally leader, Thierry was only fourth and eleven seconds of the Swedes pace. This saw his lead shrink to just three seconds. Adrien’s pace saw him move back into fourth place and past Sami. The Hyundai driver was thinking of getting back onto the podium and was only twenty seconds behind his countryman. Before the stage started, it was confirmed that Dani and Patricia had retired for the day, and this was due to Dani still suffering with pain from the crash during shakedown.

 

The final morning stage, SS10 Solorche’ 1, a completely new stage for this rally this year and Oliver’s push for the lead which we’d seen throughout the morning saw him and Elliott take the lead with the fastest time and Adrien was second fastest and Thierry was third. Just 2.7 seconds separated the Belgian from the rally new leader who was where he needed to be for the championship, whilst Sami and Elfyn were fifth and sixth respectively.

 

After the service break came SS11 Lerno – Sa Conchedda – Monti di Ala’ 2 and Seb was back to the head of the timesheets, with fellow countryman Adrien second and Oliver third. There was drama behind though as Thierry who’d only just started the stage took off the rear left wheel and suspension, putting him out for the rest of the day. Ironically, this helped Elfyn as he gained a position, moving into fifth. This was not really what Oliver wanted, but that’s rallying. Before the stage started, Martins retired from the rally as there was a problem with his steering rack.

 

Onto SS12 Coiluna – Loelle 2 and Seb kept his winning streak going with the fastest time from Oliver and Sami. Adrien had another puncture in this one and as it was quite early in the stage. They stopped to change this time and lost a minute and thirty seconds or so. The result of this was that he dropped two positions and fell to fifth place. Elfyn was now in fourth with Sami in third. There was drama for Josh sadly in this one as his Puma slid wide and hit a tree at the side of a quick part of the stage. There was a little damage to the front but after finishing the stage, there was a need to get through the time control and see what else was damaged.

 

To the final stage then, SS13 Solorche’ 2 and Adrien was back to stage winning pace setting the pace from Oliver and Seb. The pace he set saw him repass Elfyn and get back into fifth place by 6.4 seconds. Meanwhile, Oliver held the overall lead from Seb and Sami, whilst Josh finished the stage, but then retired on the road section before reaching the end of day service.

Let’s take a look at the top ten and hear from the drivers.

 

Classification after Day Two

1	O. Solberg	E. Edmondson	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	2:42:33.2
2	S. Ogier	V. Landais	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+33.6
3	S. Pajari	M. Salminen	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+1:39.9
4	A. Fourmaux	A. Coria	Hyundai i20 N Rally1	+2:32.0
5	E. Evans	S. Martin	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+2:38.4
6	T. Katsuta	A. Johnston	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+5:43.9
7	J. Armstrong	S. Byrne	Ford Puma Rally1	+6:01.2
8	R. Korhonen	A. Viinikka	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	+8:23.0
9	G. Greensmith	J. Andersson	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	+8:42.6
10	T. Suninen	J. Hussi	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	+9:46.6

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Oliver Solberg

“I think this has been one of the toughest days but one of the best also. The feeling in the car has been really good and this morning was quite flat-out to try to get ourselves into the lead, which we were able to do. This afternoon I tried to be a bit more clever and look after the tyres, while a lot of things were happening around us on every stage. On one hand, those incidents for others gave us more of a lead, but they also benefitted our rivals for the championship. But we can’t control anyone else, and we just have to keep doing the best we can. Tomorrow the objective is clear, and the target will be the full 10 bonus points, as it has been on most Sundays this year.”

Sébastien Ogier

“This has been a more positive day for us than yesterday. We managed to climb some positions and I enjoyed this afternoon, especially this first stage of the loop which has the nicest profile of the weekend and was not so rough, and it was good to win two stages. It feels like anything can still happen in this rally, as tomorrow is a long day with some rough sections to drive through. Oliver has done a great job so far and I would not want to wish bad luck on anyone, but it can happen to any of us, myself included, so we just have to keep trying until the end.”

Sami Pajari

“We had high hopes that today could be stronger than yesterday, but it seemed that the road order was unfortunately still playing quite a role and it just wasn’t really possible to be faster than the guys who were starting behind us. We haven’t been giving up and we’ve still been trying to do all that we can. We were anticipating that some drama could happen this afternoon, and that allowed us to gain a couple of positions. The situation is not in our hands, but I don’t think that anybody will be cruising around tomorrow, so many things can still happen, and we just need to keep pushing to the end.”

Elfyn Evans

“We were in a tricky position today. The feeling was OK behind the wheel, and we were driving cleanly, but the road was evolving and the grip improving a lot with every car, so with fast drivers starting behind us, it was difficult to try to close the gaps to them. The second pass was quite rough and perhaps we were a bit too conservative in the first two stages, but when Adrien got a puncture and dropped a few seconds behind us, we gave it everything in the last stage to try to keep him behind. One more position would have helped us for tomorrow, but with many cars between us, we didn’t stand much chance. Oliver has been driving very well and put himself in a strong position, but tomorrow is still a long day and we just need to go all in.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“Today was quite OK for us and better than yesterday, with no problems. It wasn’t easy as we were second on the road, and then we had to open the road this afternoon, but I just tried to drive cleanly and as well as possible. We managed to gain some positions and now our road position should be better for tomorrow with a few cars in front of us. It’s going to be an exciting final day for all the fans to follow and we will just try to enjoy the last day driving this car.”

Hyundai Motorsport

Adrien Fourmaux

“Today has been quite frustrating. When we pushed, we had the pace to fight at the front, but when we chose to look after the tyres, we ended up with punctures. It is such a shame as the car is excellent and we have a great team behind us, and it feels like a lot of hard work has been lost through circumstances we cannot fully control. However, it was important for me that we fought back on that final stage, because anything can still happen tomorrow. It would be nice to end the Rally1 era with a podium for the team.”

Thierry Neuville

“We made a very unfortunate mistake. The plan was to fight with Oliver this afternoon and try to bring home a victory for the team. A few hundred metres into SS11, I saw a stone on the inside of the corner. I thought I was a little too close, so I opened the steering slightly, then closed it again, and lost the rear of the car. There was a tree, and I took the wheel off, so it was an immediate finish for us. I’m very disappointed for the team and can only apologise. We will be back tomorrow to finish the day and do whatever we can to help bring home a podium.”

 

Sunday

The final day then holds 61 kilometres over four stages and at the end of that we shall have a new world champion crew. Who know which of the three Toyota crews it will be? The super Sunday points will certainly have a bearing on which crew takes the title. Could Elfyn and Scott though move up a position just to help their bid?

Into the action then with the first full day of stages at this significant championship deciding round. The first stage though was run on Thursday afternoon. After the short 2.21-kilometre stage, Oliver was fastest from Seb and Elfyn, whilst the other championship contender, Sami was fourth.

 

Friday dawned sunny, dry and warm and this would mean that Elfyn and Scott would as the championship leaders be cleaning the road of gravel and giving those behind a better road position.

 

Into SS2 Tula – Erula 1 then and it was a good start for Adrien who set the pace from Seb and Sami. Elfyn did well in this one, setting the sixth best time although Sami did pass Elfyn in this one, the Finn moving into third overall. There was some little drama for Oliver as one of the tyres punctured near the end of the stage. He would fall to seventh position from the lead.

 

It was a good run for Thierry in SS3 Su Filigosu – Lerno 1 as he took the stage win from Oliver and Adrien. Elfyn was sixth fastest again and saw his Swedish teammate move past him and into fourth. Seb though was next to have problems and suffered a puncture and fell seven positions to eighth overall. Dani also had a puncture losing time changing it and then just as he restarted, Robert Virves who is this years WRC2 champion in his Skoda, came past the Spaniard. The Hyundai driver would run in the dust of the Estonian and lose even more time.

 

Onto the final morning stage, SS4 Monti di Ala’ – Sa Conchedda – Lerno 1 and this was the longest stage of the day at just over twenty-three kilometres. Oliver would set the pace in this one from Seb, whilst Adrien was third. The Swedes pace would see him pass Sami and move into the final podium positions. Seb was also on the move, gaining three positions and passing Elfyn who now sat in sixth. It was a hard stage for the Welshman as the found the road was so tricky to set any decent pace losing over fifteen seconds just in this single stage.

 

After the service break came SS5 Tula – Erula 2 Adrien was again fastest from Thierry and Dani this time. The best of the Toyota crews was Seb with the fourth fastest time and was ahead of Sami, Takamoto, Oliver and Elfyn.

 

The penultimate stage of the day, SS6 Su Filigosu – Lerno 2 saw another stage win for Hyundai, with Thierry setting the pace from Oliver and Adrien. Takamoto had a puncture near the end of the stage yet still managed to gain four positions and climbed into tenth overall. Adrien continued to hold the lead from Thierry by a reduced margin, whilst Oliver was holding third overall.

 

The final stage then, SS7 Monti di Ala’ – Sa Conchedda – Lerno 2 and Thierry was again fastest from Oliver and Adrien. We lost Dani in this one as he went wide and clipped something at the edge of the road on the right, which then meant the car became uncontrollable and came to a stop of the left-side of the road. Meanwhile, there was a change for the lead as Thierry passed Adrien. Also moving up the leaderboard was Seb who passed Sami for fourth overall. The good news was that all three championship rivals had made it to the end of the first full day of action with no issues.

 

Let’s hear from the drivers and take a look at the top ten positions.

 

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville

“We end today with a small lead, but it is a lead, nonetheless. I’m obviously very happy to be in this position, but anything close to first overall would have been a good result today. I found the pace and the energy required to fight for victory on a rally like this, and I was progressing nicely throughout today. The conditions were quite stable, and I had good grip – we kept fresh tyres for the final stage, which we know can really make the difference at the end of a hot and abrasive loop. Adrien and I are both focused on bringing home a strong result for the team. The rally is still long, but our target is clear.”

Adrien Fourmaux

“Today has been a very positive day. We had a good push on the first stage of the afternoon and gained quite a lot of time compared to the others. After that, I was managing the risk of punctures – unfortunately on the last stage, we had a lot of unexpected dust. This made it very hard to see the apex of corners, and with the amount of bedrock in places, I chose to be more cautious and that lost me time. It’s a shame to lose the lead, but four tenths of a second at a rally like this is easily overcome; tomorrow, I’m aiming to push and regain the position. The fight with Thierry and Oliver will be interesting.”

Dani Sordo

We’ve had a very difficult day here in Sardinia, and it is a huge shame to end in retirement. There were points when we felt good in the car, and the afternoon was looking like a big improvement on the morning, where we lost time changing a puncture and then getting caught behind Virves. It was good to take a 1-2-3 for the team on SS5, and I really enjoyed SS6, but sadly we were unable to end the day on a positive note after going off on the final stage. We will be back tomorrow to support the team to bring home a strong result.”

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Oliver Solberg

“It’s been a great day for us. I think we can be happy with the job we’ve done considering our road position. We were unfortunate to lose about six seconds with the puncture in the first stage this morning, but lucky on the other hand not to lose more time. I was a bit cautious on the second pass of that stage to avoid another issue, but on the other two stages we pushed quite hard and had a good feeling in the car. We will just continue with the same strategy tomorrow, trying to avoid trouble but also see if we can close the gaps in front with more equal road positions.”

Sébastien Ogier

“We didn’t have the best day today; we would have hoped to be higher than fourth tonight. Unfortunately, it didn’t go my way this morning and most of our time loss came with this puncture. After that I was probably a bit too cautious, trying to avoid every stone and stay out of trouble, and so we weren’t especially fast. It wasn’t an ideal day but we will try to be better tomorrow, hope we can focus on enjoying the driving, and see what happens.”

Sami Pajari

“It’s been a tricky day, but I feel like we probably did all that we could. It’s difficult to judge our performance given the road positions, as we were quicker than Elfyn in all the stages but not as fast as Oliver. I was quite happy with the job that we did in the morning, and we were not too far away, but the afternoon seemed to be more difficult and unfortunately we just lost one position at the end. At least we have avoided any issues, so we are still in the fight, and nothing is lost. Tomorrow our road position should be better and let’s see if our pace can also be stronger and we can keep up the fight.”

Elfyn Evans

“It’s been a tough day, like we anticipated in our position. We didn’t make a bad start this morning, and generally everything has felt quite OK in the car, but the stage times were just not where we would have wanted them to be, especially this afternoon. We at least managed to avoid trouble, which is important, and our position overall is not far off what we could have hoped for today. Tomorrow our road position will be much better, and although it might be tricky to try and close any gaps ahead, we just need to keep doing what we can and keep ourselves in a good position.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“It’s been a frustrating day for us. The conditions on the stages were pretty rough, and we were trying to get through without any problems. Unfortunately, we had to stop and change a tyre in the third stage of the loop – it seems that we were not the only ones to have issues in that one. Going into the afternoon we were hoping to avoid any further issues, but still we lost some time with some punctures. Hopefully tomorrow we can have a cleaner day and find a good feeling.”

 

Classification after Day One

1 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 N Rally1 1:25:04.9 2 A. Fourmaux A. Coria Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +0.4 3 O. Solberg E. Edmondson Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +12.3 4 S. Ogier V. Landais Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +37.4 5 S. Pajari M. Salminen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +40.2 6 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +1:08.9 7 J. McErlean E. Treacy Ford Puma Rally1 +1:21.1 8 J. Armstrong S. Byrne Ford Puma Rally1 +3:26.5 9 T. Katsuta A. Johnston Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +3:27.2 10 M. Sesks R. Francis Ford Puma Rally1 +3:39.9

Saturday

The second full day of action will see the crews tackle 123 kilometres over six stages. Elfyn and Scott will have an improved road position as he secured sixth. The Welshman will have at least four cars into the stage before he starts. Sami will need to pass a few drivers to move up the standings, whilst Oliver will have to pass both Hyundai drivers to make the most of his championship chances and all three of them will want to do this, whilst keeping out of trouble.

This is it then. Three crews from Toyota come to this final round with the chance to become the 2026 World Rally Champions. Elfyn and Scott have been brilliant again this year and come to this final round with a seventeen-point lead over second placed Sami and Marko. Oliver and Elliott are further four points back, twenty-one points from the leaders.

 

In regard to the possible points permutations as to how any of the crews could win the title, let’s just see how that each day of competition progresses.

 

The weather will be interesting to keep an eye on as well, as if there is any rain either overnight before Friday’s stages or during the day this will certainly benefit Elfyn and Scott’s pace.

 

Let’s take a look at the stages then which will be the challenge for the championship contenders, and they will hope that they can navigate them to deliver the crown.

Shakedown takes place on Thursday morning, before the first stage taking place in the afternoon. Friday then sees them tackle 121 kilometres over six stages for stages two to seven. Saturday has the longest day with 123 kilometres over stages eight to thirteen. Then Sunday has 61 kilometres over stages fourteen to seventeen.

 

Let’s hear from the drivers then.

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Elfyn Evans

“Our approach for Sardinia doesn’t change just because it’s the last rally of the season: we have to go there and have the best rally that we can. We’ve worked hard to put ourselves in this position, holding on to the lead through a difficult run of gravel rallies. Sami and Oliver have been driving well, and with so many points still available, especially on Sunday, we know things will most likely remain open until the end. We just need to drive it like a normal rally and focus on doing the best job we can. Sardinia is usually not an easy rally to open the road on, and although we might be more likely to see some rain at this time of year, which could help reduce the cleaning effect for us, we have to prepare for a demanding event like usual.”

Sami Pajari

“It’s really nice to be in the fight for the championship with only one rally to go, and I’m looking forward to it. I just need to do the best that I can, like in every single rally, so nothing really changes on my side. The gaps closed up between the top three in Chile, but Elfyn still has the advantage in the points; anything is still possible, and we’ll focus on doing what we can. Sardinia is a rally that I normally like a lot. The stages are quite twisty and most of them are pretty narrow, but I’ve been able to do quite well there in the past. Now we’re going at a different time of year, but I don’t expect it to affect the nature of the rally too much, even if the temperatures may not be quite as high as usual.”

Oliver Solberg

“The championship has looked like a long shot for us at times this year, but we never gave up. It was great to get back into the fight with our result in Chile and go into this last rally with a shot at the title. It’s a big gap to Elfyn to try to close in one rally, but we will give it everything of course, and in a rally like Sardinia, anything can still happen. The stages are challenging, with fast sections where you need good commitment, as well as more technical parts where you have to be more patient. I don’t have so much experience there, especially in the top category, but we had a good run to win the Rally2 class last year and we just have to aim for the top step once more and see what happens.”

Sébastien Ogier

“Sardinia is a rally that I have always enjoyed going to during my career. While the island itself is beautiful, the rally is really demanding and it took me a few years to master it, but it was very satisfying to win there again last year after a close fight right until the end. I also remember driving there in October a couple of times before, and it can still be really challenging at this time of year, especially with weather that can change very quickly when you’re on an island. Now that the team has secured another manufacturers’ title, and that we officially no longer have a chance in the drivers’ championship, our target will be to enjoy driving this great car one last time and, of course, try to achieve one more victory to end the season.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“I’m looking forward to Sardinia. The rally is really demanding but it’s one that I always enjoy going to with a nice atmosphere around it, and it will be interesting to drive there this time as the final round of the season. We’ve had some really good moments this year, as well as some tougher ones more recently, but the team is really supporting me a lot and now I’m just focused on coming back stronger and having a positive end to the season – and enjoying the last event with this Rally1 car. Our road position, being sixth on the road, should be better for us – if it doesn’t rain – and hopefully it can be a good opportunity for us.”

 

Hyundai Motorsport

Adrien Fourmaux

“Sardinia is an event where I have always been fast, but for different reasons I’ve never managed to come away with the result I felt was possible, so the plan is to change that this year. Having the rally in October can be a little different. There is probably a greater chance of rain, although we have also seen rain in Sardinia in June, so the weather can always play a role. If it stays dry, I expect the conditions to be quite similar to what we know: it’s a very demanding rally for both the cars and the crews, and you need to manage everything well throughout the weekend. It will also be a special event as the final round of the championship and the last rally for this great generation of Rally1 cars. We want to finish the season in the strongest possible way and fight for a good result.”

Thierry Neuville

“Rally Italia Sardegna is the final round of the Rally1 era, and our target is clear – to fight for victory. This is an event we have won in the past, so hopefully we  have found what we need to feel confident and be fast during our pre-event test. The biggest challenge here is the nature of the stages, which are technical, demanding, and leave no room for mistakes. Tyre management will also be crucial, although the weather will be much cooler than usual. In general, I think the last 10 years have been the most competitive cars ever in WRC; they have been super-fast and spectacular, and I’ve enjoyed the different challenges of both the WRC and the Rally1 cars. It would be great to close out this era with a win.”

Dani Sordo

“I’m really motivated for Rally Italia Sardegna. The biggest challenge is the narrow roads and the stones by the side of the road. In Sardinia, you need to be precise and fast, and if you make a small mistake, there’s always a stone waiting for you. This weekend, I will have Patricia in the co-driver seat. We have already done some rallies together, and I think we can do very well next weekend. She is so clear in the pace notes, which really helps me focus. The only target we have is to be on the podium at least, but we would love to win. It’s a rally I like – the roads are quite technical, and I perform well there – Sardinia gives me a special energy, and so I hope it will be the same again this year.”

 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Josh McErlean

“Sardinia is always a really demanding rally, with technical stages and conditions that can be tough on both the car and crew. It’s going to be a special weekend with it being our final event in the Rally1 cars, so we really want to make the most of it. We’ve had some solid results recently and I want to carry that momentum into Sardinia, push hard and finish this chapter on a high.”

Jon Armstrong

“I’m really looking forward to Rally Sardinia and the final round of the WRC season. It’s been a huge year for us with a lot of new events and experiences in the Puma Rally1, so we want to finish the season on a positive note and put everything we’ve learned into practice.

 

“Sardinia will be another new rally for me competitively, although I’ve driven on some of the roads before when I was there testing with M-Sport Poland a few years ago. It’s a really unique challenge with narrow, technical sections, plenty of crests and some quite rough and rocky roads. In the Rally1 car, the narrow sections will be particularly demanding because you need to be very precise with the placement of the car while still carrying the speed.

 

“It’s the last opportunity of the season, so hopefully we can enjoy the rally, put together a strong weekend and finish our first year at this level in a good way.”

Mārtiņš Sesks

“This will be our last dance with the Rally1 car and our last dance with the team this year. It’s been a great two and a half years, so we really want to put on a good show, do a good rally and get a good result. Our focus is to enjoy the stages and see what we can do on this last WRC event with these cars. It will be a great event in Sardinia, and it would be really nice to end this era with a good result.”

The end of an era

Five years ago, the Rally1 cars made their debut at the 2022 Rallye Monte Carlo with the hybrid power. M-Sport Ford WRT took that first victory with Seb Loeb and Isabella Galmiche and the late Craig Breen and co-driver Paul Nagle were third.

The hybrid was removed after a couple of years, and it was great to see all the teams score podiums and victories in these last five years. Toyota and Hyundai have won the titles for the drivers, co-drivers and manufacturers during these years.

What happens next year then will be interesting as Toyota have been developing a new car to the new WRC27 rules, but we are yet to hear about cars from Hyundai and M-Sport. Hopefully there will be some news in the weeks which follow this round. There is the Project Rally One team who have been developing a car to these new rules. Let’s wait and see what kind of programme they have for next year and who the drivers will be.

Summary

Back then to this final round and the championship decider. Elfyn and Scott are really in a good position to win the championship given their points advantage. Should Friday be dry, a good run for them could mean they hold fifth at the end of the day and would give the pairing a good opportunity to take a good level of points, before even considering what they could take on Sunday in terms of Super Sunday.

 

For Sami and Marko, the best thing they could do to secure their first top level championship is take victory and see what points their teammates take. It will be tricky though to win from second on the road given the level of gravel waiting to be swept from these roads.

 

Oliver and Elliott have to go for victory, and this will be very tricky given their lack of experience on these roads with this car. They do have the capability though which will make this interesting.