Evans set for 'anything can happen' Saudi WRC title decider

Elfyn Evans has the opportunity to become only Britain’s third world rally champion if he can emerge from an “anything can happen” finale in Saudi Arabia on top.

The Toyota driver holds a slender three-point lead over eight-time world champion team-mate Sebastien Ogier, while a third Toyota driven by Kalle Rovanpera can still mathematically snatch the title, albeit 24 points in arrears with 35 points on the table this week.

If the title fight wasn’t already tense courtesy of the points tally, the final round of the championship will be contested at brand new event - the inaugural Rally Saudi Arabia.

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Based out of Jeddah, the event provides a trip into the unknown with a mix of mountain, volcano and desert terrain set to greet crews. Some of the gravel roads are expected to be relatively smooth and fast with a hard base, while desert sections will be softer but lined with rocks.

It is likely that a compromise in both driving style and car set up will be required to successfully navigate.

“Anything can happen in Saudi. We have to go and try and focus on doing the best rally we can and see what comes,” said Evans.

“We go to Saudi Arabia knowing that everything is still to play for and very open in the championship. Seb is a tough opponent and performing at a really high level, and Kalle cannot be counted out at this stage either.

“It will be tough, but we’re going to give it our best shot of course. Nobody really knows what to expect from this event. None of the drivers have done it before and many of the stages are completely new anyway, so it’s basically a clean sheet for all of us.”

While Rovanpera is still in the title fight, Ogier is likely to be Evans’ main threat standing in the way from achieving a career-defining maiden world championship. The Welshman has finished runner-up on four occasions (2020,2021,2023 2024), twice losing out to Ogier in 2020 and 2021 in a final round showdown. Should Evans triumph, he will join and elite group comprising Colin McRae (1995) and Richard Burns (2001) as British world rally champions.

To claim the world title, Evans needs to either beat Ogier or concede no more than two points to the Frenchman. If the pair finish level on points, Ogier will take the crown given he has won six rallies to Evans’ two this season. Evans has been the most consistent driver this year having avoided serious mistakes — that has afforded him top six finishes in every event.

“He [Seb] is tough, he is a tough opponent and he is arguably one of the best there has ever been in this sport. It is clearly not easy and he is performing at a high level. It will be tough but we will still give it our best shot,” added Evans.

The 17-stage title decider is set to begin on Wednesday evening.

Watch WRC on DAZN

Follow all the action from the FIA World Rally Championship finale LIVE this weekend from Rally Saudi Arabia - 26th -29th November. The title gets decided right here, right now. The 2025 World Rally Championship is available through DAZN on its own dedicated app channel,  Rally TV. It is available either as a dedicated Rally TV subscription, or as part of your existing DAZN subscription for a small add-on fee.

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