Toyota wrapped its long-awaited manufacturers' title, but the fight between its drivers took another twist
Photography by Toyota, Hyundai & M-Sport
Words by Luke Barry
Toyota wrapped up one of the most predictable manufacturers’ titles in the history of the World Rally Championship with yet another win this season (11 from 12), but if we’re honest it’s the fight between its three drivers we’re more invested in.
Sébastien Ogier’s record-equalling ninth title was (dare we say it…) looking like a slight certainty, right up until the moment his front-left tire let go in fifth gear and sent him off the road.
Bad news for Ogier, great news for us as it’s blown this World Rally Championship title race wide open again.
Here’s what we learned from Central European Rally 2025.
As you have probably worked out from the intro to this feature, I was beginning to fear that what was painted to be an epic title fight was actually becoming something of a formality.
Ogier has just been too good – how could anyone genuinely beat him?
The rallying gods intervened, however, and now Ogier has 13 points to make up again with just two rounds left to go. If he’s going to win this thing, he’s going to need to do it the hard way.
But here’s the problem for his rivals: Ogier thrives when his back’s against the wall. You need only look at his drives in both Paraguay and Chile for proof.
For me, he remains the title favorite. But it’s all looking a lot less predictable than it was on Friday evening.
It’s hard to tell whether it’s deliberate, but Elfyn Evans has built a supremely credible title challenge off dogged consistency rather than blinding pace, and leading the way with two rounds to go proves that tactic is absolutely working for him.
He’s won less than half the stages of both his two title rivals and team-mates; won fewer rallies too. But it’s points that matter most and Evans just continually hoovers them up.
Second in CER was his third runner-up finish on the bounce, and his spirited drive on Sunday to overhaul Ott Tänak (who admittedly had an equipment disadvantage) and beat Rovanperä to second in both Super Sunday and powerstage could prove vital when it all shakes out in Saudi Arabia.
Ogier’s exit has handed Evans the advantage again. He just might hold on.
Ogier’s relentless. Evans is consistent. What is Rovanperä?
It’s hard to know what to expect from the Super Formula-bound Finn based on the fluctuating nature of his 2025 campaign, but what’s clear is CER was Rovanperä at his brilliant best.
Ogier’s crash lightened the load but Rovanperä had snuck ahead anyway on the stage before, so there’s every chance he’d have won the rally regardless.
What makes him the wildcard is he’s less predictable than his team-mates. Perform like this again in Japan though, and that dream world title to retire from rallying with is a very real possibility.
It’s been a scrappy old year for Thierry Neuville with #1 on the car, and it hit a new low in Central Europe.
Things hadn’t been going to plan anyway, as he began the final day over 2m30s down after a puncture caused by misjudging the line over a jump, a dislodged hood and an overshoot. But his accident just two miles into Sunday was where Neuville’s troubled title defense finally ended.
The most important thing is Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe are OK after what was a sudden impact, but with a 81-point deficit to the championship lead they won’t be calling themselves world champions again this year. Not that that’s a huge surprise.
Focus will remain on trying to rescue his season with a victory in either Japan or Saudi Arabia – otherwise 2025 will go down as Neuville’s first win-less campaign in a decade (since 2015).
We never got the chance to see if Hyundai was prepared to shuffle its drivers around to benefit Ott Tänak, because the Toyotas were much faster and Tänak was the lead i20 anyway.
Did Tänak using the older-spec car make any tangible difference? Again the evidence is inconclusive.
What we do know is Tänak is not a realistic title contender anymore.
That’s not to say he, or Hyundai, will be giving up the quest, but with a 50-point deficit when just 70 are on a table – and up against a juggernaut force like Toyota – it’s hard to see how even a driver as good as Tänak can recover this.
In CER he was at the maximum – everywhere. And he still ended up 49.3s shy of first – the position he desperately needed to ignite his title challenge.
The question came from Club DirtFish member Tommy, and honestly the answer was telling.
Is CER a rally the drivers will miss, with it dropping off the calendar next year?
“No,” replied Adrien Fourmaux. “I do prefer Croatia – it’s much more technical and demanding stages than Central Europe. I like the rally, but if I need to choose I will choose another one.”
In one sense it’s a shame. The rally is based, as the name suggests, in the center of Europe where there is a strong rally-loving nucleus, and it offers a truly unique challenge with differing stage characteristics from country to country.
The problem is – while the itinerary has improved year on year – the road mileage is heavy, and the stages aren’t universally seen as good enough to justify that.
The concept of a tri-nation event was brilliant on paper, and CER has delivered some classic WRC moments from 2023-25 (Rovanperä’s title win two years ago after Evans hit the barn, Ogier and Neuville’s accidents last weekend as examples), but I’m personally with Fourmaux. I prefer Croatia too, so am glad it’s back on the calendar for 2026.
Words:Luke Barry
Tags: Central European Rally, Central European Rally 2025, What we learned, WRC, WRC 2025
Publish Date October 20, 2025 DirtFish 
https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2025/10/KdfAIDjy-ROVANPERA12CER25tb501-780x520.jpg October 20, 2025
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