Adrien Fourmaux leads Rally Saudi Arabia heading into Friday night after both Sami Pajari and Mārtiņš Sesks were struck by costly tire failures in the brutal conditions of the Arabian desert.

Sesks’ Early Dominance Blown Apart by Rear-Right Puncture

Mārtiņš Sesks began the rally in commanding form.
The Latvian took the lead on Thursday’s opening stage and was extending his advantage — 3.9 seconds clear after five tests — and looked untouchable.

But SS6 changed everything.

A rear-right puncture cost him over 15 seconds, sending him tumbling from first to third.

“I don’t know how it happened,” Sesks said.
“There are so many rocks… I think it was a slow puncture at first.”

Pajari Takes the Lead… Then Immediately Loses It

Sami Pajari inherited the rally lead when Sesks hit trouble — only to suffer the same fate minutes later.

On SS7, the Finn’s front-right tire delaminated, costing him the top spot and handing the rally lead to Fourmaux.

“I don’t know what happened,” Pajari admitted.
“Something clearly went wrong, we need to check.
It’s been good, but this rally is so challenging.
Still two long days to go.”

Pajari ends the day second overall, 5.3s behind Fourmaux, with Sesks sitting 8.9s off the lead in third.

Fourmaux: Soft-Tire Gamble Pays Off

Fourmaux began the loop with a soft-biased tire choice, and while he initially didn’t realize he was in contention, his clean run and consistent pace meant he emerged as the unexpected rally leader.

“I’m happy with my day,” Fourmaux smiled — before being told he was now leading.

Tänak and Neuville Locked in a Furious Fight for Fourth

Behind the lead trio, Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville are separated by just 1.1 seconds in fourth and fifth.

Neuville had been poised to attack Tänak — until he, too, suffered a rear-right delamination on SS7.

“Four kilometers before the finish we heard a massive noise,” Neuville said.
“No alarms, so I knew it must be a delamination.
Not perfect, but I enjoyed discovering a new rally.”

Tänak, meanwhile, suspects suspension damage:

“I lost something through the stage,” he reported.

Title Drama: Ogier Positioned for a Ninth World Championship

With three drivers able to clinch the title in Saudi Arabia, the championship fight remains intense — but none of the contenders sit inside the top six due to severe road-cleaning disadvantage.

But Sébastien Ogier holds the upper hand.

Ogier ends the day 7th overall, and crucially:

He is exactly 40 seconds ahead of title rival Elfyn Evans
And Evans sits two positions behind, with Kalle Rovanperä inserted between them after the Finn overtook Evans on the final gravel stage

Rovanperä — who earlier punctured on SS4 — pushed hard despite losing tire pressure late in the stage.

“That was the plan,” Rovanperä said.
“We have nothing to lose anymore. Good that we start behind Elfyn tomorrow.”

Ogier, meanwhile, is currently positioned to win a ninth world title.

(Ogier’s 2025 Saudi standing)
Ogier: P7 — Evans: P9

Evans admitted the afternoon was brutal:

“The cleaning on the second pass was worse than the first.
It’s a nightmare with all those hairpins — we did what we could.”

Ahead of the championship contenders sits Takamoto Katsuta, holding sixth overall, 24 seconds ahead of Ogier.

Al-Attiyah Endures a Nightmare Loop

Nasser Al-Attiyah dropped out of the top 10 after:

Tearing off the entire rear trunk of his Puma after a heavy landing
Filling the cockpit with choking dust
Suffering a puncture and losing minutes due to a faulty jack

Despite the setbacks, he smiled:

“An extreme day — everything happened.
This rally is very tough, but I’m happy to be here.
Now I need a good shower.”

Rally2 and M-Sport Battles

Behind the Rally1 field:

Oliver Solberg continues to lead the Rally2 category
Grégoire Munster sits 10th overall
Josh McErlean is 12th after losing three minutes earlier due to a puncture-related tire change

Day One in the Desert: Chaos, Punctures, and a New Leader

Fourmaux leads Saudi Arabia after a day of carnage.
Pajari and Sesks both struck by tire failure.
Ogier in championship-winning position — Evans under pressure.
Tänak and Neuville locked in battle.
Al-Attiyah surviving everything the desert throws at him.

And with two long days still ahead, anything can still happen.