Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team's French driver Sebastien Ogier and French co-driver Vincent Landais steer their Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 during the last day of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in Jeddah on November 29, 2025. Photo: FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP
Toyota's Sebastien Ogier secured a record-equalling ninth world rally title in Saudi Arabia to equal the tally of fellow Frenchman Sebastien Loeb and become the sport's oldest champion at 41.
Loeb won his nine titles successively between 2004 and 2012 with Citroen.
Ogier won six titles consecutively from 2013-18 and added two more in 2020 and 2021. He has found success with three different manufacturers - Volkswagen, Ford and Toyota.
He had announced his intention to retire from full-time rallying at the end of 2021 but has continued part-time and won his latest title despite being absent from three of the 14 rounds, winning six.
"I never thought that this moment of a ninth title would come after I decided to make a change and spend more time with my family," Ogier said, who started the weekend three points adrift of Welsh teammate Elfyn Evans.
Sebastien Ogier. Photo: LUCA BARSALI/AFP
The Frenchman will be 42 on December 17 and is now the oldest driver to win the world championship. The previous oldest was Finland's Hannu Mikkola at 41 years and 183 days in 1983.
"What a season, that's for sure," Ogier said after finishing third in the Jeddah-based event over rocky roads and sandy tracks, with Evans sixth.
The rally was won by Hyundai's outgoing champion Thierry Neuville, with the Belgian finishing 54.7 seconds clear of French teammate Adrien Fourmaux.
"What a fight with Elfyn and (co-driver) Scott (Martin). They have been super strong pushing us to the limit up to the very last stage of the year," Ogier said.
The title was a first for co-driver Vincent Landais, who teamed up with Ogier in 2022.
The final standings had the Frenchman on 293 points with Evans on 289 and Kalle Rovanpera 256. In the manufacturers' standings Toyota, who clinched the title in October, ended with 735 to Hyundai's 511.
Toyota have now won 10 drivers' titles, a record they share with Lancia.
Evans, who had hoped to become the first British champion since Richard Burns in 2001, was hampered by having to act as 'roadsweeper' on the opening day.
While he won the final Power stage for bonus points, Ogier was second in that to limit the damage.
"It was a tough event obviously," the Welshman said, championship runner-up for a fifth time in his career.
"I think we did what we could in reason. A puncture on Saturday morning didn't help but that's the name of the game, everybody's had their fair share of issues."
Toyota's double world champion Rovanpera, who was also mathematically still in title contention at the start of the event, finished seventh.
The Finn is now leaving rallying to start a new career in single-seater circuit racing, with his eyes on a possible future in endurance or even Formula One.
Saudi Arabia was making its debut on the world championship calendar as the first round staged in the Middle East since Jordan in 2011.
- Reuters
