ELFYN Evans says the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship is “wide open” as the title fight heads into a historic finale at Rally Saudi Arabia later this month.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver leads Sébastien Ogier by just three points, with 35 still available in the final round. After a rain-affected battle in Japan, Evans believes the title will be decided not by momentum, but by who adapts fastest to the unknown terrain.

“Nobody really knows what to expect,” Evans told WRC.com. “It’s definitely all still to play for in Saudi – very open now. I haven’t looked at the stages yet, but as far as I understand many of them are completely new. So we’ll wait and see what we find.”

The Saudi event features a brand-new route in a country never before visited by the WRC. Unlike Japan, where both drivers had prior experience, Saudi will reward quick road reading, tyre management on abrasive desert surfaces, and confident pace note execution.

“It’s basically a clean sheet for everyone,” he said. “I’m not aware anybody’s been there before. So you just have to arrive, focus on doing the best rally you can, and see what comes.”

Evans arrives with mixed emotions. His second-place finish in Japan kept him atop the standings, but Ogier’s pace—capped by a Wolf Power Stage win by just 0.09 seconds—tightened the title race.

“We gave it a good go,” Evans reflected. “Seb did a great job again – he was tough to beat. Of course I’m disappointed with how it played out, but overall it was still a strong weekend. Just not quite enough.

“[Seb] is a tough opponent – arguably one of the best there’s ever been in this sport… Tough, but we’re still going to give it our best shot.

“Anything can happen in Saudi.”