Early in the stage, information circulated claiming that Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier had stopped along the route to change a damaged tyre. This information was also relayed to Elfyn Evans.
Moments later it became clear that the information was untrue. One of Ogier’s rear tyres did indeed begin to deflate towards the end of the stage, but no tyre change had taken place at any point.
But Ogier still experienced drama of his own. He lost 0.2 seconds to his team-mate Kalle Rovanperä on the day’s final stage, meaning Ogier will start the “super Saturday” in sixth place, directly behind Rovanperä. With Evans sitting eighth overall, Ogier is currently set to move past Evans by a single point – that is, if they were to finish in these positions.
Next to hit trouble was Hyundai’s Ott Tänak, who suffered drivetrain issues. Tänak courteously waited to allow Toyota’s Sami Pajari, arriving from behind, to pass him safely. At the same time, Tänak lost his opportunity to fight for a strong result.
After this, rally leader Martins Sesks of M-Sport damaged a tyre and lost nearly a minute to the front. Fortunately for Sesks, Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux also suffered a puncture, and he moved into the rally lead ahead of Sesks by only 2.4 seconds. In total, five drivers encountered issues on the final stage of the day – either mechanical problems or punctures. This prompted Ott Tänak to slip into his familiar sarcastic tone.
“This is a truly brilliant end to the WRC season. Absolutely wonderful,” Tänak smirked.
In the overall standings, Thierry Neuville retained third place despite his puncture, and Takamoto Katsuta held on to fourth. Kalle Rovanperä suddenly emerged as the top Finn and now sits fifth, ahead of Ogier and Pajari. Championship leader Evans is eighth.
Saturday’s final day at Rally Saudi Arabia is shaping up to be quite extraordinary. It is very possible that the destiny of the world title will not be settled until the rally-ending Power Stage.
Three more special stages await on Saturday at Rally Saudi Arabia. The day also features the longest stage of the season, as the Asfan stage measures an impressive 33.28 kilometres.
Rally Saudi Arabia standings after 14/17:
| POS | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai | 2:43:17.7 |
| 2. | Martins Sesks | Ford | +2.4 |
| 3. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +5.8 |
| 4. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | +43.9 |
| 5. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | +1:15.0 |
| 6. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | +1:15.2 |
| 7. | Sami Pajari | Toyota | +1:37.2 |
| 8. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +3:55.0 |
| 9. | Gregoire Munster | Ford | +6:15.8 |
| 10. | Oliver Solberg | Toyota | +7:29.1 |
Rally Saudi Arabia itinerary (CET):
Wednesday 26 November 09:01 Shakedown: Thahban (4.56 km) 18:35 SS1: Jameel Motorsport Super Special 1 (5.22 km) Thursday 27 November 06:08 SS2: Al Faisaliyah 1 (19.36 km) 07:06 SS3: Moon Stage 1 (20.12 km) 08:04 SS4: Khulais 1 (11.33 km) 10:14 Service (40 min) 12:22 SS5: Al Faisaliyah 2 (19.36 km) 13:20 SS6: Moon Stage 2 (20.12 km) 14:18 SS7: Khulais 2 (11.33 km) 17:28 Service (45 min) 18:31 SS8: Jameel Motorsport Super Special 2 (5.22 km) Friday 28 November 06:26 SS9: Alghulah 1 (11.69 km) 07:19 SS10: Um Al Jerem 1 (30.58 km) 08:35 SS11: Wadi Almatwi 1 (24.90 km) 10:15 Service (40 min) 11:51 SS12: Alghulah 2 (11.69 km) 12:47 SS13: Um Al Jerem 2 (30.58 km) 14:05 SS14: Wadi Almatwi 2 (24.90 km) Saturday 29 November 07:05 SS15: Thahban 1 (16.29 km) 08:21 SS16: Asfan (33.28 km) 11:15 SS17: Thahban 2 (16.29 km) *Power Stage
