A stunning twist has reshaped Rally Saudi Arabia, as Mārtiņš Sesks surrendered the rally lead following a rear-right puncture on SS6 — handing Sami Pajari his first-ever World Rally Championship event lead.
Sesks had been the benchmark from the first kilometer.
The Latvian star dominated the morning loop for M-Sport, winning two of the opening three stages and only missing a clean sweep due to a small overshoot that forced him to reverse.
He picked up exactly where he left off in the afternoon, powering to another stage win by 2.2 seconds and extending his lead to 3.9s. Through the early splits of SS6, Sesks looked unstoppable — 6.5 seconds up on Pajari and pulling away.
Then disaster struck.
Rear-Right Puncture Ends Sesks’ Charge
A slow bleed in the rear-right tire turned into a full puncture, costing Sesks 16.8 seconds and abruptly stripping him of the rally lead.
“I don’t know how it happened,” Sesks admitted.
“There are so many rocks… I don’t really know. I think it was a slow puncture in the beginning.”
The damage drops Sesks to third overall, now 12.9 seconds off the top spot.
Pajari Leads a WRC Rally for the First Time
With Sesks delayed, Sami Pajari inherited the rally lead — the first time in his career the young Finn has topped the classification on a WRC round.
He ends the day 5.3 seconds ahead of Adrien Fourmaux, who is rolling the dice strategically by running no hard tyres in this loop.
Championship Deciders: Ogier vs Evans Continues
Further down the order, the title fight remains tense but static:
- Sébastien Ogier – P7
- Elfyn Evans – P8
Both Toyota teammates continue their internal duel for the 2025 WRC Drivers’ Championship, with neither able to make decisive moves in the desert.
