Round 13 of the 2026 WRC season, Rally Italia Sardinia, concluded on October 4. Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson won in 3 hours 24 minutes 57.0 seconds, finishing 57.6 seconds ahead of Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais. Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen were third, completing a Toyota podium sweep.
Four Sunday stages settle the rally win and the world title
The final day comprised four timed stages, SS14 to SS17, with two passes each through Osilo–Tergu and Sassari–Argentiera. The last 7.10 kilometres formed the Power Stage, awarding separate bonus points from 5 down to 1 to the top five. Solberg protected the rally lead he had built the previous day to take consecutive wins in Chile and Sardinia, but the championship was not settled until the final stage.
Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin suffered a right-front puncture on SS16 and stopped to change the wheel. Their stage time of 18 minutes 14.1 seconds was 126.6 seconds slower than Solberg’s. Evans retained fifth overall but lost his chance of bonus points for Sunday’s aggregate performance, leaving him needing to fight for points on the final stage.
Solberg went off the road near the end of the Power Stage, then rejoined and finished without losing the rally lead. He was eighth on the stage, while Evans earned 3 points for third. That took Evans to 243 championship points, 5 ahead of Solberg and 6 ahead of Pajari, securing his first WRC drivers’ title.
Pajari finished second on the Power Stage, which Thierry Neuville won in 4 minutes 54.2 seconds. Neuville returned on Sunday after retiring from Saturday’s running and finished 15th overall. Individual stage times and cumulative rally times are classified separately: winning the Power Stage does not mean finishing on the rally podium.
Fourmaux fourth as WRC2 is decided by just 0.7 seconds
Adrien Fourmaux finished fourth, Takamoto Katsuta sixth and Jon Armstrong seventh. Dani Sordo retired late on Friday and was not classified as a finisher.
In WRC2, Roope Korhonen and Anssi Viinikka won the class and finished eighth overall. Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo were just 0.7 seconds behind, ninth overall.
Ogier took his 121st podium on his 214th WRC start. Both figures are career totals in the WRC. Pajari ended his second full season in the top category with his ninth podium of the year.
Final overall classification
The official classification issued by the organisers on October 4 also stated that the result of car number 33 remained subject to a full inspection of its engine, turbocharger and wastegate.
| Position | Car number | Driver / Co-driver | Car | Total time (including penalties) | Gap to winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99 | Oliver Solberg / Elliott Edmondson | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 3:24:57.0 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 3:25:54.6 | +0:00:57.6 |
| 3 | 5 | Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 3:26:34.4 | +0:01:37.4 |
| 4 | 16 | Adrien Fourmaux / Alexandre Coria | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | 3:27:35.6 | +0:02:38.6 |
| 5 | 33 | Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 3:29:45.1 | +0:04:48.1 |
| 6 | 18 | Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 3:30:59.4 | +0:06:02.4 |
| 7 | 95 | Jon Armstrong / Shane Byrne | Ford Puma Rally1 | 3:32:29.2 | +0:07:32.2 |
| 8 | 21 | R. KORHONEN / A. VIINIKKA | Toyota GR Yaris | 3:37:07.4 | +0:12:10.4 |
| 9 | 20 | R. VIRVES / J. VIILO | Skoda Fabia RS | 3:37:08.1 | +0:12:11.1 |
| 10 | 27 | G. GREENSMITH / J. ANDERSSON | Toyota GR Yaris | 3:37:59.2 | +0:13:02.2 |
| 11 | 35 | K. KAJETANOWICZ / M. SZCZEPANIAK | Toyota GR Yaris | 3:38:30.9 | +0:13:33.9 |
| 12 | 26 | R. DAPRÀ / L. GUGLIELMETTI | Skoda Fabia RS | 3:39:20.4 | +0:14:23.4 |
| 13 | 23 | T. SUNINEN / J. HUSSI | Toyota GR Yaris | 3:41:10.9 | +0:16:13.9 |
| 14 | 40 | A. MAURO / C. SALVAT | Skoda Fabia RS | 3:50:51.1 | +0:25:54.1 |
| 15 | 11 | Thierry Neuville / Martijn Wydaeghe | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | 3:55:41.0 | +0:30:44.0 |
| 16 | 47 | K. RAITH / C. MAIER | Ford Fiesta Mk II | 4:00:50.4 | +0:35:53.4 |
| 17 | 42 | S. ROMAGNA / D. LAMONATO | Skoda Fabia RS | 4:00:52.5 | +0:35:55.5 |
| 18 | 22 | Mārtiņš Sesks / Renārs Francis | Ford Puma Rally1 | 4:01:58.4 | +0:37:01.4 |
| 19 | 32 | G. TRENTIN / P. OMETTO | Skoda Fabia RS | 4:02:52.5 | +0:37:55.5 |
| 20 | 44 | M. GRANADOS / M. MARTÍ | Skoda Fabia RS | 4:05:51.5 | +0:40:54.5 |
| 21 | 59 | L. ARCELUZ / E. QUERALT | Toyota GR Yaris | 4:09:20.7 | +0:44:23.7 |
| 22 | 55 | Josh McErlean / Eoin Treacy | Ford Puma Rally1 | 4:12:25.5 | +0:47:28.5 |
| 23 | 48 | F. FRISIERO / D. FAPPANI | Skoda Fabia RS | 4:14:31.5 | +0:49:34.5 |
| 24 | 28 | E. LINDHOLM / G. MORALES | Skoda Fabia RS | 4:16:58.1 | +0:52:01.1 |
| 25 | 72 | E. ROYÈRE / M. ANDERNACK | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 4:17:49.2 | +0:52:52.2 |
| 26 | 50 | E. CĂRĂGUI / R. FUS | Citroen C3 | 4:21:24.7 | +0:56:27.7 |
| 27 | 45 | U. SOYLU / M. YALÇIN | Skoda Fabia RS | 4:24:49.6 | +0:59:52.6 |
| 28 | 65 | T. WEIGERT / J. WEIGERT | Renault Clio Rally3 | 4:26:04.9 | +1:01:07.9 |
| 29 | 49 | G. GALLENI / A. SCARTABELLI | Skoda Fabia RS | 4:29:28.9 | +1:04:31.9 |
| 30 | 52 | G. POZZO / P. COTTU | Skoda Fabia RS | 4:29:58.7 | +1:05:01.7 |
| 31 | 60 | PIANO / Dominique SAVIGNONI | Citroen C3 | 4:31:22.4 | +1:06:25.4 |
| 32 | 64 | G. BITTI / G. PIRISINU | Renault Clio Rally3 | 4:36:26.7 | +1:11:29.7 |
| 33 | 34 | P. SARRAZIN / Y. ROCHE | Lancia Ypsilon HF | 4:36:50.6 | +1:11:53.6 |
| 34 | 51 | S. SERPELLONI / N. PETRIN | Skoda Fabia RS | 4:39:13.4 | +1:14:16.4 |
| 35 | 37 | M. FONTANA / A. ARNABOLDI | Toyota GR Yaris | 4:41:39.5 | +1:16:42.5 |
| 36 | 53 | F. TALI / G. LIBERA | Ford Fiesta Mk II | 4:42:05.2 | +1:17:08.2 |
| 37 | 57 | G. VASILAKIS / A. HARRYMAN | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 4:43:34.8 | +1:18:37.8 |
| 38 | 54 | C. COVI / D. PICENO | Skoda Fabia RS | 4:47:15.5 | +1:22:18.5 |
| 39 | 63 | S. AVANDERO / L. GRANAI | Lancia Ypsilon HF | 4:47:30.3 | +1:22:33.3 |
| 40 | 68 | G. MARA / V. COTTU | Peugeot 208 Rally4 | 4:51:32.3 | +1:26:35.3 |
| 41 | 62 | M. GRIGG / L. DUNN | Toyota GR Yaris | 5:15:45.5 | +1:50:48.5 |
| 42 | 69 | V. LEDDA / C. MELE | Opel Corsa | 5:25:04.2 | +2:00:07.2 |
| 43 | 70 | G. FOSCI / A. TENDAS | Renault Clio RS Line | 6:34:13.0 | +3:09:16.0 |
| 44 | 71 | G. DI LUIGI / A. DI LUIGI | Renault Clio RS Line | 6:50:58.9 | +3:26:01.9 |
This event completed all 13 rounds of the 2026 WRC season. The three title contenders finished just 6 points apart, with the championship decided on Sardinia’s final stage. For the title battle, see the championship report; for the stage-by-stage changes on Sunday, see the separate review.
2026 WRC drivers’ championship standings (top 10)
| Position | Driver | Championship points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elfyn Evans | 243 |
| 2 | Oliver Solberg | 238 |
| 3 | Sami Pajari | 237 |
| 4 | Sébastien Ogier | 189 |
| 5 | Adrien Fourmaux | 183 |
| 6 | Takamoto Katsuta | 175 |
| 7 | Thierry Neuville | 134 |
| 8 | Hayden Paddon | 38 |
| 9 | Josh McErlean | 35 |
| 10 | Esapekka Lappi | 33 |
