Ogier Strikes Ninth World Rally Championship Title, Tying Loeb’s Record in a Dramatic Jeddah Duel
29 November 2025
Ogier Clinches Ninth World Rally Championship Title in Jeddah, Tying Loeb’s Record
Frenchman Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) clinched a ninth World Rally Championship title on Saturday in Jeddah, equalling the record set by his compatriot Sébastien Loeb.
Ogier, now 41, overturned a late deficit to teammate Elfyn Evans, finishing third in the final standings, while the Briton ended the season in sixth in the last rally.
Evans had led Ogier by three points before the 14th and final stage, but Ogier erased the gap to finish 293-289, despite missing three rounds this season.
Ogier had previously won the world title in 2013-2018 and again in 2020-2021, with Volkswagen, Ford and Toyota.
Over the weekend, Ogier showed his vast experience and tactical acumen as he controlled his Welsh rival, minimizing risk on a challenging, twisty course.
Despite desert troubles in Saudi Arabia, notably two punctures on Friday, the French driver held his nerve and finished the season four points ahead of Evans in the final standings.
Before climbing onto the roof of his car to celebrate with the crew, Ogier said: "What a season. The battle with Elfyn Evans was really fantastic... there are no great champions without great rivals... they pushed us to the limit until the last stage of the season."
Ogier had a partial season with Toyota, initially slated for eight rallies, but added three events to his program after a strong start that opened the door to a historic ninth title.
In the end, the title came after the volatile Rally Saudi Arabia, following an exceptional season in which he achieved six wins and ten podiums in 11 rounds.
The reigning world champion Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) won Rally Saudi Arabia, appearing for the first time on the World Rally Championship calendar, ahead of his French teammate Adrien Fourmaux.
Here is the list of winners in the last ten World Rally Championship seasons (WRC):
2025: Sébastien Ogier - Vincent Landais (France/Toyota)
2024: Thierry Neuville - Martin Vedâge (Belgium/Hyundai)
2023: Kalle Rovanperä - Joni Hätönen (Finland/Toyota)
2022: Kalle Rovanperä - Joni Hätönen (Finland/Toyota)
2021: Sébastien Ogier - Julien Ingrassia (France/Toyota)
2020: Sébastien Ogier - Julien Ingrassia (France/Toyota)
2019: Ott Tänak - Martin Järveoja (Estonia/Toyota)
2018: Sébastien Ogier - Julien Ingrassia (France/M-Sport Ford)
2017: Sébastien Ogier - Julien Ingrassia (France/M-Sport Ford)
2016: Sébastien Ogier - Julien Ingrassia (France/Volkswagen)
Ogier's triumph caps a season that thrilled fans with precision, risk management, and plenty of drama. And yes, even the calendar was spellbound watching this masterclass in late-stage nerve control.
Two snappy lines to end on: If Ogier’s steering were any sharper, it could cut through the very air of gravity itself. And for the rest of us, I’ll just keep my coffee in the cup holder and hope it doesn’t file a protest with the FIA about my cup-holder-lap-times.
