DirtFish caught up with the drivers on the recce of SS11/14 to discover what the Saudi Arabia stages are like
Photography by M-Sport
Words by Luke Barry
The World Rally Championship’s new season finale, Rally Saudi Arabia, could be one of the most extreme challenges drivers have ever faced.
Elfyn Evans, Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä all start this week’s Jeddah-based event with a shot at the drivers’ title, and are wary of what lies ahead of them.
“Yeah, adventure might be the word. Lottery fits well as well,” Ogier told DirtFish as he recceed SS11/14 Wadi Almatwi.
“I mean, even this one, honestly, we discussed all together already, we are concerned about our safety in places because it’s far too extreme. So let’s see. But yeah, it’s not really the place you want to play a championship.”
Evans currently has a three-point advantage over his Toyota team-mate Ogier, and is predicting “a few surprises” over the course of the rally.
“I think to go flat out from start to finish without some issue is more or less impossible, I would say,” Evans said. “So, you have to use your head a little bit.
“There’s an element of luck needed here, I think, to get through well. So, let’s see.”
Rovanperä is the rank outsider in the championship battle, with 24 points to recover to leader Evans and only 35 available to him.
The Finn found the Rally Saudi Arabia stages “quite interesting”.
He added: “Definitely more soft and rough than what you even expect. The videos looked better. The roads were prepared well, but then they will be broken quite easily, I think.
“For sure you need some rough rally mindset, at least in some places. It should be a lot of stones and stuff, I think.”
Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux believes a Safari-style “conservative” approach will pay dividends, although some of the flatter sections require the drivers to keep their foot in.
He said: “Some places, you really need to save a bit the car. Some others, you need to push, but the risk is also the unexpected rocks coming out from the ground. You can see it already.
“It will go off with the cars passing in front, and it can be middle of the road, push you out of the line, touching other rocks. We’ll have to be really focused at every moment.”
That sort of jeopardy is a nightmare for those disputing the championship, but presents an opportunity for the younger drivers still building their experience.
Sami Pajari, for example.
“Yes, it’s a big challenge. If I was really close in the championship fight, I would be even more worried,” Pajari confessed.
“But now it’s more like an opportunity, actually. First time for everyone to do the rally. And I think on the first proper day, there is quite a big cleaning as well. So maybe we might have some advantage. So, yeah, we should try to use it.
“We got our [first] podium already now in Japan, so hoping to get some more.”
M-Sport’s Josh McErlean struck a similar tone.
Narrow, rocky stages lie in wait for the WRC's finest
“Yeah, it’s a proper challenge,” said the Irishman, “something that the WRC, I don’t think, has ever seen before. Every stage has got something else in it and this one’s probably the roughest of the rally, so… yeah, it’s a proper championship decider. I think anything can happen here.”
Above all, Rally Saudi Arabia will be a unique test of the drivers’ ability to pace themselves, rather than outright set the pace.
“I think it’s cool,” WRC2 champion Oliver Solberg concluded. “I mean, it’s a different challenge. It’s definitely not about speed and it’s definitely not about classic rally driving, but it gives a different type of challenge.
“For us, it’s fun. We’ve decided everything already, so I think it’s worse for the other three guys who have to fight for the championship. But it’s going to be something different.”
Words:Luke Barry
Tags: Rally Saudi Arabia, Rally Saudi Arabia 2025, WRC, WRC 2025
Publish Date November 25, 2025 DirtFish 
https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2025/11/dkja3d28-WRC_SAU_25_ATMOSPHERE_031-780x520.jpg November 25, 2025
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