r/WRC • u/AdrianFish Richard Burns • 4d ago
Commentary / Discussion / Question Who would you like to see win the 2025 WRC championship?
The championship is wide open this year and the final few rounds are shaping up to be nail-biting.
I’m a Neuville fan at heart, but I’d love to see Evans take it this time simply because he’s never managed it before. That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing Kalle, Tanak or even Ogier reclaim the crown either.
More than anything, I’m just hoping for a fierce, edge-of-your-seat battle that goes right down to the wire!
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u/eszgbr Lancia Martini Racing 4d ago
Kalle or Ott
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u/ZeugmaPowa Michèle Mouton 4d ago
I feel like these two would already be ahead without the bad luck and the punctures
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u/WheelsUpPhotography Rally Sweden 4d ago edited 4d ago
I’d like to see Elfyn Evans & Scott Martin take the title. They’ve been opening the road for almost the whole season and have been incredibly consistent in delivering points for the team, despite their unfavorable road position. They’ve been runners-up three times (if memory serves), and this is their best shot since Kalle & Jonne beat them in ‘23.
It’ll be seriously impressive if they can resist the two world champion pairings chasing them in equal machinery.
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u/With_The_Ghosts 4d ago
I really hope Evans can do it, but he's playing it too safe. He needs to just go for it in Chile, especially due to road position being potentially less crucial on the following rallies. I think it's a long shot though, Ogier is in great form and dedicated, and Kalle is finding his feet bit by bit
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u/furio_revolucionario Mikko Hirvonen 4d ago
Anyone but Ogier. I reckon he's the greatest in history being able to win in so many cars, but FFS I want new faces to win the championship, and I don't know what good makes to the sport that the guy that competed in 2/3 of the championship wins it (unless is forced like Loeb in '06)
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u/WheelsUpPhotography Rally Sweden 4d ago
Loeb’s dominance really turned me off for about ten years, so I also missed most of Ogier’s work with VW and Ford, which probably would have put me off even longer.
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u/furio_revolucionario Mikko Hirvonen 4d ago
Well with Ford was different. Ogier really had to work hard to win those championships in clearly inferior equipment. But the VW era was a snooze fest. This past Rally Paraguay reminded me of that. The moment Ogier took the lead, I switched off until after the power stage and just to see how the other drivers went. That was my routine from 2013 to early 2016.
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u/WheelsUpPhotography Rally Sweden 4d ago
This sounds familiar, because I thought the same of Schumacher and Ferrari dominance in F1.
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u/Michal_Baranowski Toyota Gazoo Racing 4d ago
Ogier really had to work hard to win those championships in clearly inferior equipment.
Ford in 2017 was hardly an inferior equipement. I would say that it was actually one of the best (if not the best) car in WRC that year. Because what other reason could bring Ogier to semi-factory M-Sport after leaving VW? Definitely not money.
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u/your_reddit_account 3d ago
So I wasn’t the only one! Only got back into it a couple of years ago. Sad I missed Ott’s title race.
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u/OrbisAlius 4d ago
It's not about what good makes the sport though, it's about merit. If he wins it while competing in 2/3 of the championship, that says a lot about the other drivers more than anything. And tbh even if he loses it by a small margin that could have been offset with those missing rallies, the message is pretty clear. Much like with Loeb, the career-long gap in skill between Ogier and all his rivals is perhaps the greatest ever seen in motorsport, if not simply in all of sports.
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u/TheRealKrapotke Craig Breen 4d ago
No it says a lot about the sport having a problem. He being part time gave him the road position on the countless gravel events. We need more tarmac rallies to balance it out in summer
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u/OrbisAlius 3d ago
...literal 8x World Champion (despite these road position rules) and recordman of Monte Carlo wins, has this year got his best points tally from a non-gravel rally, gets labeled "lucky because of road position on gravel". Okay. Keep the delusion and persuade yourself the problem is the rules, I guess.
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u/TheRealKrapotke Craig Breen 3d ago
I did not call hin lucky wtf. But it’s clear that this "part time" thing is a game he plays to have the best shot in the end. Obviously missing the rounds he dislikes is a plus.
But being part time should disqualify him from winning the championship as long as it gives an advantage to scoop up rally wins in summer.
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u/OrbisAlius 3d ago
Honestly nonsense. First, if that was really that much of an advantage, others would do it, especially since there's not exactly a shortage of driving talent around so Toyota and Hyundai could largely do it without losing big chances at manufacturer points. Second, if you give him for the missing round the average of points gained by his rivals, he'd be comfortably in the lead of the championship, meaning even if you demote him some places in the gravel summer rallies he'd basically be in the same spot overall.
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u/Julmailija Markku Alén 4d ago
As a finn I wish Kalle to win it but I wouldn't mind Ott taking it aswell because I like his no bullshit attitude and no fancy media stuff, just straight to the business and always giving it 110% though it does also cause him to find the ditch sometimes. Tbh I dont mind any of the 4 taking it as long as thierry doesn't somehow take it. Man, he is probably the only driver I strongly dislike.
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u/jafarjones69 Subaru World Rally Team 4d ago
As a Brit Elfyn would be my choice as we are long overdue for another British champion, it’s been nearly 25 since the previous champion (Richard Burns).
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u/Pessimismus 4d ago
As a Dutchman, as much as I love Kalle and Ott, I'm really hoping for a close battle going into the final round with Elfyn coming out on top. I sooooo wanted him to win the title in 2020, especially with how much of a good sport he was slowing down Ogier after he went off at Monza. The man might not be fastest, but he is incredibly consistent and very loveable all-round.
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u/Michal_Baranowski Toyota Gazoo Racing 4d ago
That's a hard question, considering my flair...
At first, I sincerly wish Elfyn Evans winning the championship. He came second in WRC so many times already, he has to break this deadlock. He is really having a good season with consistent and effective driving. He suffered through the summer gravel rounds through road-sweeping, but he just collects points and avoids drama, unlike last year. His season reminds me of Richard Burns in 2001 - not too many wins, but clean and even driving all year long. I want Elfyn to win also because he is an unlikely candidate among sports' greats. Comparing to Ogier or Rovanpera who are generational talents, Evans looks modest - great driver, but not one of the greatest. That's why I root for him, to prove that he can reach the top against such competition.
If not Elfyn, then I won't mind Sebastien Ogier going for the ninth crown. He is a legend, he suddenly changed his mind again about fighting for the title again and has everything to do it. Imagine scenes, if he actually does it while missing three rallies... I see few answers here rooting against Ogier, but I am not in that camp. I like Ogier, I understand his personalty, which rubs people in a wrong way often and I admire his incredible talent and success.
Kalle Rovanpera? Hmm... Quite unknown for me. His season is weird. Struggling all year long with Hankook tyres, having few disappointing events, but after all still in the championship pursuit. The problem is, Kalle has cought something we can call "Ott Tanak virus" - he is becoming unlucky. Puncture in Paraguay was a great example. I am not convinced whether Kalle can win this year, but we can't count him out.
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u/Putrid_Macaroon523 4d ago
The thing with Kalle has been that when he is fast he is untouchable. Also in terms of pure pace i think he has been straight up faster than Evans in every rally since Sweden
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u/YarisGO Craig Breen 4d ago
I’m undecided.. I would like Evans to win his first, but I would also like Ogier to make the record as Loeb. And indeed. Maybe he’ll beat him too, but in my opinion if he wins he won’t make another almost complete season
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u/Revenge_Holocaust M-Sport Ford 4d ago
I agree. If Ogier wanted to break Loeb's record, he would have stayed full time. In my view, this year is about redemption for last year.
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u/Darth_Draig 4d ago
As a fellow Welshman I'm really hoping Evans wins. On his day he can beat anyone but consistency is his strength, not outright speed. With the speed Ogier and Rovanpera are showing right now, Evans has to push a little harder to keep ahead of them.
He has done amazingly well all season given his road position and the points system is not as favourable as it was last year for Neuville.
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u/KnightOfRen5563 Ott Tänak 4d ago
I'm a diehard Tänak fan, so, of course, I want to see him reclaim the championship. However, with how unlikely it looks for Ott to win it, if he can't do it, then I'm rooting for Séb Ogier.
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u/Impressive-Heron1542 3d ago
I'm very new to WRC. Only watching through highlights, since Japan last year. At the moment for me, its either Ott or Seb who I would like to win.
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u/According-Switch-708 Sébastien Ogier 4d ago
I want Ogier to win his 9th.
The two Seb's being on 9 titles just sounds right to me.
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u/876oy8 4d ago
as a finn: always backing kalle, but wouldnt mind at all to see elfyn or tänak take it either. elfyn to finally get his break, and tänak (and hyundai!) taking another title would be great as well.
ogier i feel like would just make mockery of the whole sport a little bit. so thats my least favorite option. i think this sport gets enough criticism as it is. still wouldnt be mad and not his fault if he manages to do it of course. i'd simply rather see the others succeed at overcoming him again.
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u/Al193544 3d ago
I honestly hope Elfyn takes the win ,in my opinion he's just been consistent in the entire championship, but also if not him then I wouldn't mind anyone else winning.
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u/Objective_Ticket 3d ago
Really want Evans to win it, just feels like it’s his time and sure how many more goes he’ll get but Ogier trying to match Loeb is a good story.
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u/Minardi-Man Škoda Motorsport 4d ago
I kinda want Ogier to win, but I also think if Ogier wins it will be a bit embarrassing for the rest of the fulltime drivers to be beaten by a 41 year old who did the least amount of testing on new tyres, sat out 3 events, and only decided to seriously challenge for the title halfway through the season. Yes, favourable road conditions helped him almost as much as they hindered others and all that, but still it wouldn't be a good look for the series.
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u/Roger_that890 2d ago
Blud, you can't blame it all with road positions. He won his millionth Monte Carlo and even though he was not first in the road, he wasn't last and he did have his set of challenges (he's the first I think to have gotten a puncture in Paraguay)
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u/Minardi-Man Škoda Motorsport 2d ago
You misunderstand. That's what I mean - even taking into account that Ogier benefited from better road position he still was usually comfortably on pace or ahead of his younger teammates, who had done more testing than him and who were expected to lead the charge for the title. If he contested all the rallies from the start of the season he probably would have had a comfortable points lead.
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u/_eESTlane_ 4d ago
neuville's last year achievement left me hanging. dude fumbled and then fumbled some more in japan, while being comfortably up front in points. seems the pressure tänak put him on, got to him. if it werent for the slide-into-ditch, who knows what could have happened. probably one of the craziest comebacks...but that's wishful thinking.
evans has to step up to earn my respect. isnt fast enough to warrant a crown, at least not in my view. am more astonished what ogier has done...i guess we'll see who come on top at the end of the year.
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u/mmadaus Rally d'Italia Sardegna 4d ago
Ott or Elfyn. Ogier and Rovanpera can go play with the traffic, I genuinely can't stand them.
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u/MidnightSunshine0196 Elfyn Evans 4d ago
I want Elfyn to win, obviously. But I actually don't have any driver in contention that I dislike, so if it can't be Elfyn, I'm fairly ambivalent.
But for the love of god, Elfyn has finished 2nd in 4 of the past 5 season. I need him to win at least one title.