Fourmaux leads Rally Saudi Arabia while Evans loses ground
28th November 2025Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux topped the timing boards after the second day of the World Rally Championship’s Rally Saudi Arabia as Sebastien Ogier edged closer to a ninth world title.
Feature image credit: Jaanus Ree // Red Bull Content Pool
Fourmaux was the overnight leader at the inaugural Saudi Arabian rally after Thursday’s action as M-Sport Ford’s Martins Sesks and Toyota’s Sami Pajari had punctures and delaminations, respectively.
The Frenchman, who has made third podium appearances this year with his new team, is on course to take his maiden WRC rally win at the sport’s season finale. Heading into Friday’s action, Fourmaux currently leads Pajari by six seconds, whilst Sesks trails 0.9 seconds behind him.
However, it wasn’t a smooth day for some of the crews in attendance.
Nasser Al-Attiyah hit the ground hard on SS5 and lost the rear wing to his Ford Puma, which also ripped off the boot door. Similarly, Sesks had lost his rear bumper following his puncture on the following stage.
Following Sesks’ puncture, it had allowed Pajari to take the rally lead, but a front-right delamination would give the lead to Fourmaux.
Toyota’s Elfyn Evans also made a mistake on the final test of the morning loop, Khaulis, as the Welshman turned in too early at a left-hander and nearly veered up an escape road.
The fight was tight amongst the championship rivals, as Kalle Rovanpera limped home with a puncture on the Khaulis stage. In the end, Ogier had begun to edge away from Evans.
After eight stages, Ogier found himself 44.2 seconds off the lead, in seventh, whereas the other two title contenders, Rovanpera and Evans, trailed behind in eighth and ninth, respectively.
Sesks leads Rally Saudi Arabia as title contenders fall behind
How Day Two finished
- Adrien Fourmaux – 1 hour, 18 minutes and 45.3 seconds
- Sami Pajari +6s
- Martins Sesks +6.9s
- Ott Tanak +13.7s
- Thierry Neuville +14.9s
- Takamoto Katsuta +22.9s
- Sebastien Ogier +44.2s
- Kalle Rovanpera +1m 21.2s
- Elfyn Evans +1m 25.3
- Gregoire Munster +2m 10.9s
Joshua McErlean (12th) +3m 30.1s
Nasser Al-Attiya (20th) +9m 2.6s
Read more WRC here:
- Sesks leads Rally Saudi Arabia as title contenders fall behind
- Rally Saudi Arabia: the schedule ahead of the WRC finale
- Rally Japan: 3 Winners and Losers
- Toyota confirms 2026 driver line-up as Oliver Solberg gets promotion
- Ott Tanak to take a break after 2025 WRC season
- Sebastien Ogier wins Rally Japan to tighten gap on Elfyn Evans
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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.
