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Estonian star edges Ogier as Rally de Portugal delivers thrills and heartbreaks on opening leg
By Open Chronicle Sports Desk | May 16, 2025 – Matosinhos, Portugal
Estonia’s Ott Tänak took early control of Rally de Portugal after a fiercely contested opening leg on Friday, marking a major personal milestone by reaching 400 FIA World Rally Championship stage wins. Behind the wheel of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1, Tänak outpaced an elite field across nearly 150 kilometres of punishing gravel roads, ending the day with a slender 7.0-second lead over WRC legend Sébastien Ogier.
Tänak, who seized the lead on Friday morning after dethroning overnight pacesetter Elfyn Evans, dominated with four stage victories throughout the day, including his milestone win on the Sever / Albergaria test.
“If there were as many championship titles [as stage wins], it would be even better,” Tänak quipped. “Still, a nice number. It’s been demanding, especially the second loop. We couldn’t really find the sweet spot, but the last two stages were clean, so that’s good.”
Ott Tänak holds a narrow lead after Rally Portugal's marathon second day 🥵🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/YsNgxAM7RT
— DirtFish (@DirtFishRally) May 16, 2025
Drama and Attrition Shake Up the Leaderboard
Frenchman Ogier endured a tough start with a soft suspension setup but rebounded in the afternoon loop after making adjustments. He surged into second place, pushing Takamoto Katsuta back by over 20 seconds.
“We made changes at service and things clicked,” Ogier said. “It felt like a completely different car in the second loop.”
The morning’s biggest threat to Tänak came from Adrien Fourmaux, who equalled the Estonian’s pace with two stage wins and trailed by just 0.2 seconds at midday. But disaster struck when he clipped a hidden rock at a tight hairpin, breaking his steering and forcing a retirement.
Katsuta, momentarily in second, ended the day third, with Kalle Rovanperä just 1.2 seconds behind him in fourth. The reigning two-time world champion found the surface more slippery than anticipated but remains poised to gain ground on Toyota teammate Evans in the title fight.
Evans and Neuville Struggle, Solberg Shines in WRC2
Championship leader Elfyn Evans endured a frustrating day. Tasked with road-opening duties, the Welshman lost traction on the loose gravel and slipped to seventh, over a minute adrift of the lead.
Ahead of him sits Thierry Neuville in sixth and Sami Pajari in fifth. Neuville narrowly avoided disaster after tagging a bank on SS2 but fought back to finish just 4.4 seconds behind Rovanperä.
Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean delivered steady performances to secure eighth and ninth for M-Sport Ford, while Oliver Solberg impressed with a commanding WRC2 lead, rounding out the top ten overall.
There was misfortune for Mārtiņš Sesks, fastest in shakedown, who suffered a wheel change on SS2 and later incurred a three-minute penalty, effectively ending his podium hopes.
Saturday’s Challenge: The Iconic Amarante Beckons
Saturday’s leg promises another brutal test, with seven stages covering 122.92 kilometres, including two runs through the legendary Amarante stage, the longest of the rally.
With just seconds separating the frontrunners and plenty of rough terrain still ahead, the battle for the Rally de Portugal crown is far from decided.
Standings After Friday:
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Ott Tänak (Hyundai) – 400 stage wins milestone
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Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) +7.0s
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Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) +27.1s
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Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) +28.3s
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Sami Pajari
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Thierry Neuville (Hyundai)
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Elfyn Evans (Toyota)
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Grégoire Munster (M-Sport Ford)
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Josh McErlean (M-Sport Ford)
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Oliver Solberg (WRC2 leader)
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