Sebastien Ogier pips Tanak and Rovanpera to WRC Rally Portugal win
19th May 2025Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier has extended his record of wins at the World Rally Championship’s Rally Portugal to seven, keeping Toyota’s winning streak alive.
Feature image credit: Jaanus Ree // Red Bull Content Pool
Ogier inherited the rally lead following the action on Saturday after Hyundai’s Ott Tanak suffered power steering issues, dropping the Estonian down to third. This left Ogier to lead his teammate Rovanpera on Sunday.
As such, it means Toyota have now claimed their fifth win in as many rounds, continuing the Japanese team’s unbeaten run in 2025.
However, with the bit in his teeth, the Estonian bounced back on Sunday to take second from Rovanpera, taking full Super Sunday points and the Wolf Power Stage.
It was not plain sailing for some drivers as M-Sport Ford’s Joshua McErlean suffered communication trouble with his co-driver, prompting Eoin Treacy to use hand signals to deliver the pace notes.
But how did the action end in Portugal on Sunday?
The finished order
Ogier completed the weekend as the fastest driver, extending his winning record in Portugal to seven wins overall, with a time of three hours, 48 minutes and 35.9 seconds.
The eight-time world champion was followed by Tanak, who looked certain for victory until the power steering issue, and Rovanpera, in second and third, respectively.
Hyundai’s defending world champion, Thierry Neuville, was best of the rest in fourth, 38.5 seconds off the pace, ahead of the remaining Toyotas of Takamoto Katsuta, Elfyn Evans and Sami Pajari, in fifth, sixth and seventh.
M-Sport Ford’s Joshua McErlean and Gregoire Munster were the last two Rally1 contenders inside the top 10, in eighth and ninth. This left WRC2’s Oliver Solberg to take the final position inside the overall top 10, in 10th.
Martins Sesks completed the Rally1 contenders down in 15th, 12 minutes off the pace.
Adrien Fourmaux, Hyundai, retired from the event before the Power Stage due to cooling system concerns.
The WRC will return in June for the Rally Italia Sardegna, which will take place from June 5 to 8.
The crews will face more gravel conditions as the championship moves onto its second consecutive gravel event, with five more remaining until asphalt returns at the Central European Rally in October.
Read more WRC here:
- Evans takes overnight WRC Rally Portugal lead
- Entry List revealed: 2025 WRC Rally Portugal
- EA reaches the ‘end of the road’ with WRC.
- Rovanpera wins WRC Rally Islas Canarias ahead of Ogier and Evans
- Rovanpera claims victory in WRC Rally Islas Canarias
- Joshua McErlean crashes on opening Sunday WRC stage Rally Islas Canarias
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
