Elfyn Evans’ fight for the 2025 World Rally Championship title took a major blow on Friday as a rear-left puncture forced the Toyota driver to stop and change a wheel on SS11, costing him over 1 minute 39 seconds at a critical moment in Rally Saudi Arabia.
Running ninth overall after 10 stages due to extreme road cleaning, Evans and co-driver Scott Martin noticed a slow puncture warning on the TPMS at the start of SS11. With long kilometres still ahead, they made the painful but necessary call to stop.
The delay drops Evans to 10th overall, now 2m36.3s behind title rival Sébastien Ogier, though he remains just 12.8s off returning to ninth thanks to his earlier buffer over Grégoire Munster.
“We had a puncture alarm right at the beginning,” Evans explained.
“It was going down slowly but the stage was so long, we had to stop. Not ideal.”
Rovanperä Helps — But Only Slightly
Kalle Rovanperä delivered Evans a small lifeline by beating Ogier by 12.2s on SS11, despite the Finn himself nursing a front-left tire losing pressure in the final kilometres.
“It affected the last part a lot,” Rovanperä said.
“You have to be careful not to debead the tire.
I could’ve been faster — and we caught some of Elfyn’s dust. Not easy.”
Even so, the reigning champion still sits 19.9s behind Ogier, and as things stand — before Super Sunday and the Power Stage — Ogier would become world champion by just two points.
Ogier admitted he drove with caution after hearing Evans had punctured:
“I was very cautious. It’s pure lottery in there — not much fun.”
Lead Fight Explodes: Fourmaux, Sesks & Pajari Trade Blows
At the front of the rally, three drivers chasing their first-ever WRC victory continue swapping positions in a gripping three-way fight.
Fourmaux Starts Friday Strong
Opening the day last on the road — and benefiting from less sweeping — Adrien Fourmaux took his first stage win of the weekend on SS9, extending his lead to 7.8s over Sami Pajari.
Sesks Strikes Back
But on SS10 Um Al Jerem, Mārtiņš Sesks mounted a ferocious charge:
- Beat Pajari by 3.0s
- Outpaced Fourmaux by 5.6s
- Cut the gap to the lead down to 4.2s
Ott Tänak set the stage’s fastest time (by just a tenth), but Sesks was the big mover.
The Gap Narrows Further
On the final stage of the loop, Sesks again gained time, trimming Fourmaux’s advantage to 2.9s, with Pajari 4.5s off the lead.
Tänak, meanwhile, continues to loom as a serious threat — now just 9.2s off the front after another strong run on SS11.
“It’s perfect — we’re managing well,” Fourmaux said.
“There are loose rocks everywhere. Sometimes I go around them and lose time, but it’s the way to survive this rally.”
Hyundai Drama: Tänak Pulls Clear as Neuville Suffers Damper Failure
The fight between Hyundai teammates Tänak and Thierry Neuville was fierce early in the loop, separated by just 1.9 seconds after SS9.
But SS11 changed everything.
Neuville suffered a rear-left damper failure, dropping heavy time and falling out of contention for the podium places.
“We have a broken rear-left damper,” confirmed the world champion.
“Luckily the stage didn’t have too many crests or jumps, but I was losing the rear all the time.
I could’ve gone much faster with a proper car.”
Despite the issue, Neuville crucially stayed ahead of Takamoto Katsuta, protecting his sixth place by 15.2s.
But Tänak has now surged 33.9s ahead of his teammate.
Rally Saudi Arabia: A Brutal Fight in the Desert
- Evans’ title hopes dented by a costly puncture
- Ogier in championship-winning position as things stand
- Fourmaux, Sesks & Pajari locked in a sensational three-way battle for their maiden WRC win
- Tänak gaining strength, Neuville wounded
- Mechanical failures, delaminations, and tire dramas shaping every stage
Two long days remain — and if today proved anything, it’s that Saudi Arabia gives nothing for free.









