WRC 2025 result after Round 5: Rally de Portugal

Toyota Gazoo Racing continued its FIA World Rally Championship campaign with Sébastien Ogier delivering Toyota’s fifth successive victory this year as well as Ogier’s own historic seventh win on the demanding Rally de Portugal. How did this decisive WRC 2025 result play out? Read on as we review each day’s activities.

WRC 2025 result: Rally de Portugal

Following four wins in four very different conditions, round five saw the team’s five-strong line-up take on Rally de Portugal, the first of seven consecutive gravel rallies as well as the first in a trio of summer events in southern Europe. For these rounds, the GR Yaris Rally1 was equipped with a new livery – the switch from black to silver used to keep the car cooler by reflecting more heat from the sun.

As the championship has come to expect, Portugal delivered technical roads that could be covered at mid-level speeds, and sandy surfaces that became ever more rocky and rutted with each passing car. Tyre management in these conditions is therefore one of the keys to success.

Day 1

The first day’s action started with a pre-event shakedown, which presented an important opportunity for the team to refine the car setups before the start. The crews then travelled south from the service park in Porto for the ceremonial start (see image above), followed by the opening super special stage.

Elfyn Evans was quickest on this spectacular two-mile loop, the Welshman taking an early 0.2 second lead over team-mate Sébastien Ogier (above). Kalle Rovanperä was sixth, just 1.3 seconds away from the pace, just ahead of colleagues Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari.

Day 2

Crews remained in central Portugal for a marathon day two – ten stages and 90 competitive miles that meant 15 hours on the road punctuated by two short service stops. As championship leader, Evans ran first on the road through out the day, clearing a line for his rivals to follow.

Making his first start on gravel in over seven months, Ogier held fifth overall through the morning’s first two stages behind team-mates Rovanperä and Evans. But then he made tweaks to his setup and finished the initial loop of four stages in third place. The Frenchman then won the first stage of the afternoon, only to be eclipsed by Katsuta who moved up into second prior to the second service.

Ogier moved back ahead of Katsuta before the end of the day, having won the first of two new stages in the evening. The day’s final stage proved particularly punishing for Evans, however, as he ended it in seventh. Nevertheless, Toyota ended this gruelling first full day with three drivers in the top four places.

WRC 2025 result: Day 3

Day three followed a more regular format compared to the previous day, consisting of two loops of three classic stages run either side of a mid-day service. Ogier began seven seconds behind the leader, cutting that gap to two seconds with a pair of stage wins at the start of the morning, only for his rival to respond and open the gap back up again. Stage times between the pair remained close in the rougher conditions of the afternoon, until an issue in the penultimate test allowed Ogier (below) to move in front.

With a further stage win the day-ending super special, Ogier concluded 27.6 seconds ahead of Rovanperä, who had earlier traded third position with team-mate Katusta through the morning loop. Rovanperä then set the fastest time in the 17th stage and moved 8.5 seconds ahead of the third-placed competitor going into the final day.

Day 4

Considering that this was Ogier’s first gravel rally this year, and he had only one day of testing on the new gravel tyres prior to the event, his improvement from the early stages to actually leading the rally was remarkable. So the final day was about carefully managing that advantage to ultimately seal victory in Portugal, which we’re delighted to report that he did… for the seventh time in his career!

Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen completed Toyota’s double podium finish in third place. Although they couldn’t quite hold on to second, they did take second in the Super Sunday classification and third in the Power Stage to gain valuable extra points for the team and championship. Meanwhile, Katusa finished fifth, Evans sixth, and Pajari seventh.

This result delivered Toyota’s fifth straight win from five events in 2025 and the team’s sixth successive Portugal triumph in a run dating back to 2019. Evans continues to lead the drivers’ championship by 30 points over Rovanperä, with Ogier a further two points back. Toyota has now increased its manufacturers’ championship lead to 55 points.

WRC 2025 result in Round 5: Rally de Portugal

WRC 2025 championship standings: drivers and co-drivers

WRC 2025 championship standings: manufacturers

WRC 2025: Where next?

The sixth round of the WRC 2025 calendar is Rally Italia Sardegna. The event takes place on 5-8 June and is known for its fast but narrow gravel stages, where trees and exposed rocks at the side of the road can catch out the unwary. High summer temperatures combined with the abrasive surface places extreme stresses on the cars and tyres.

Learn more: How did last year’s WRC end for Toyota?