Elfyn Evans wants to stand up to Sebastien Ogier in the WRC title race: But the Frenchman is in top form and chasing his ninth world championship title.
The battle for the 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC) continues to intensify after Rally Chile. With three rallies to go before the end of the season, only two points separate the two Toyota drivers Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans in the WRC standings. While Ogier celebrated his fifth victory of the season in Chile, Evans was beaten by 11.0 seconds and had to relinquish the overall lead to his Toyota teammate.
Evans, who is still hoping for his first world championship title, was combative but also admitted that Ogier will be difficult to beat. “We know how fast he is everywhere. That’s the reality and that’s exactly what our challenge is,“ explained Evans, who achieved his sixth podium finish of the season in Chile. ”It’s no secret that he is one of the best drivers this sport has ever seen. He will be hard to beat over the last three rallies, but we will do our best,” Evans continued.
Why Evans is confident about the next rallies
The Welshman had a nine-point lead before Chile, but is now two points behind in second place. The next stop on the calendar is the Central European Rally on asphalt, followed by Rally Japan, which also makes Evans optimistic: “I think everything is open for the next two asphalt events. We have performed well on both tracks in the past, so we can build on that.”
Despite the defeat in Chile, Evans drew a positive conclusion. After struggling with pace in Paraguay, he showed significantly improved speed in Chile and even led the field at the start before Ogier took control on Saturday. “Of course, it’s a mixed feeling. We really struggled in Paraguay, but the pace was much better here. We paid a high price for our starting position on Friday, but overall it was a solid weekend,” said Evans.
Ogier, on the other hand, finds himself in a comfortable position after his latest triumph, but remains cautious. With five wins from eight starts and a flawless podium record, he has averaged 28 points per rally so far. In Chile, he even achieved the maximum 35 points.
Ogier: “We can’t relax yet”
“We took the points we deserved this weekend. That wasn’t possible in Paraguay, so I’m really happy this time,” said the eight-time world champion. “Of course, it’s very positive to go into the last three rallies with a two-point lead. The season has been almost perfect so far, but a perfect season is virtually impossible. No one has ever achieved that. There are still three races to go, and the opportunity is there, but it will be difficult. We can’t relax yet.”
Should Ogier, who has not been driving full-time in the WRC since 2022, actually win his ninth world title, he would draw level with his compatriot and former archrival Sebastien Loeb.