Three stages covered the final 65.86km of competitive action in 2025. Two loops of Thahban (SS15/17, 16.29km) were separated by one attempt of the event’s longest stage, Asfan (SS16, 33.28km).
 
Neuville and Wydaeghe were unleashed on the last day of Rally Saudi Arabia, starting Saturday just 3.4 seconds away from the rally lead. A stellar effort from the Belgians meant they were able to finish SS15 as the third fastest, and went on to assume first place. The crew then took it one step further on the following stage, clinching one final top-three stage time of the year and consolidated their position as leaders as their closest rivals succumbed to two punctures. A considered approach on the Power Stage ensured the duo would secure the win, and they finished with a gap of 54.7 seconds to the rest of the field. The crew’s victory is a brilliant recovery from their setbacks on the first day and perfectly demonstrates their unrelenting determination, generating plenty of positive momentum for them to carry into 2026.

Erstwhile rally leaders Fourmaux and Coria, who started in fourth due to yesterday’s time penalty, demonstrated exemplary attitude and speed on Saturday’s stages, immediately setting the fastest time on the day’s opening test. With Mārtiņš Sesks and Takamoto Katsuta facing issues on SS16, the duo were promoted to second with just one more stage left to face. Similarly to their Belgian team-mates, the crew took heed on the final test to secure their fourth podium of the year. The Frenchmen’s fantastic efforts across the whole weekend are a fitting end to their first season in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1, resulting in a well-deserved double podium for the team.

Estonians Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja struggled with grip on the first loop of Thahban, running wide at a junction approximately 15km into the stage. The duo had a fairly trouble-free run through the longest stage of the weekend, SS16, and pushed to claim one final top-three stage time on the Power Stage – finishing in third. Hyundai Motorsport once again extends its thanks to both Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja, and wishes them well on the next steps in their adventures away from the world of the WRC.

Rally Saudi Arabia was a positive end to a frustrating year for Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team, but with 15 podiums, two victories and plenty of learnings, the team is determined to come back stronger in 2026 at Rallye Monte-Carlo in January.

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#1 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)

    Belgians clinched first victory of 2025 at final round
    Crew clinched six top-three stage times in Saudi Arabia

Neuville said: “It’s been a long wait since the last victory, but it’s good to be back on the top step, especially at the end of the season after a tough year. We’re super happy, and of course getting the 1-2 is very important for the team – they have all been working hard. The next few weeks are the most important to help us be contenders again in 2026. We need to bring some more upgrades and improvements to the car as well as develop the structure within the team. We have learnt a lot about the evolution of the car recently, and now we need to push to put those learnings into performance.”

Crew Notes: Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (#16 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)

    Fourmaux/Coria secured first-ever WRC second place
    Crew claimed four podiums in debut year with Hyundai Motorsport

Fourmaux said: “If you remove our penalty, I’m really pleased with how we managed this rally. We made the decision to take softs at the beginning, against the decision of the others, and we made the right choice in doing that. We were managing the pressure of the others catching up with us, and I’m really pleased we were able to and have that self-control inside of the car. We are the unofficial winners! The speed is there, the management is there and so is the reliability for us, so these are the things I need to keep up my motivation for next year – there is no reason to doubt the steps we have taken forward this year.”

Crew Notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)

    Estonians claimed five stage wins at Rally Saudi Arabia
    Tänak/Järveoja finished third on Power Stage

Tänak said: “Today wasn’t the greatest day to open the road. It’s been demanding, but we still tried to have good rhythm and drive. These cars are some of the best things in motorsport at the moment, they’re really fun to drive and I’m sure really fun to watch from the outside too. I tried to enjoy this today, and I really enjoyed it. Let’s see what the future brings. I don’t know how much things are going to change but let’s see what the sport does and where it goes. I’m not turning my back on rallying, it’s given me so much and I’m very grateful for that.”

Hyundai Motorsport WRC Sporting Director Andrew Wheatley said: “What a fantastic end to a really challenging week for the team. It’s been a difficult rally, but a really positive end to the season for Hyundai Motorsport. It’s been a massive team effort from everybody back at base and here on the rally, who have all gone above and beyond lately to create the result we have seen today. We saw a typically professional drive from Thierry and Martijn today; they pushed through some very difficult conditions with incredible poise and commitment. It was also an incredible result from Adrien and Alex, they pushed their team-mates to the final stage and I’m sure we’ll see that first win come in the near future. The final word has to go out to Ott and Martin – they’ve done a phenomenal job with the team. We couldn’t get the final result we wanted with everyone this weekend, but right to the last stage they demonstrated their professionalism and support in creating the team spirit we need to continue securing more results like these.”
 
Next rally

The 2026 FIA WRC season will kick off with Rallye Monte-Carlo, taking place from January 22-25.

Final Overall Classification – Rally Saudi Arabia

1     T. Neuville      M. Wydaeghe     Hyundai i20 N Rally1      3:21:17.3
2     A. Fourmaux     A. Coria            Hyundai i20 N Rally1            +54.7
3     S. Ogier      V. Landais                  Toyota GR Yaris Rally1           +1:03.3
4     S. Pajari     M. Salminen                Toyota GR Yaris Rally1           +1:51.7
5     T. Katsuta     A. Johnston              Toyota GR Yaris Rally1            +1:59.9
6     E. Evans     S. Martin                    Toyota GR Yaris Rally1            +3:43.9
7     K. Rovanperä     J. Halttunen         Toyota GR Yaris Rally1            +5:31.5
8     G. Munster     L. Louka                     Ford Puma Rally1               +7:07.2
9     J. McErlean      E. Treacy                  Ford Puma Rally1                +8:30.5
10     O. Solberg     E. Edmondson       Toyota GR Yaris                     +10:00.6 ...

Super Sunday Classification – Rally Saudi Arabia

1     S. Ogier            37:47.7
2     E. Evans               +0.8
3     T. Neuville          +6.1
4     A. Fourmaux      +6.6
5     S. Pajari              +26.4

2025 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
After round 14

1     Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team            735
2     Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team     511
3     M-Sport Ford World Rally Team                       205
4     Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team 2         158

2025 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings
After round 14

1     S. Ogier             293
2     E. Evans            289
3     K. Rovanperä     256
4     O. Tänak          216
5     T. Neuville       194
6     T. Katsuta          122
7     A. Fourmaux    115
8     S. Pajari             107
9     O. Solberg           71
10   G. Munster          40 ...

All results remain subject to official FIA confirmation.