The Central European Rally 2025 provided a spectacular motorsport finale in the middle of the three-country region of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. In front of an impressive crowd of around 100,000 spectators, Toyota driver Kalle Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen secured overall victory, putting a clear exclamation mark on the title fight in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).
Decisive victory for Rovanperä
The two-time world champion delivered a faultless performance on the demanding asphalt stages. Following the retirement of his team-mate Sébastien Ogier, Rovanperä took the lead and maintained it to the finish. His direct WRC rivals Elfyn Evans (Toyota) and Ott Tänak (Hyundai) followed in second and third place.
Drivers’ World Championship remains exciting
Thanks to his consistent performance, Elfyn Evans now takes the lead in the overall standings. Rovanperä and Ogier are just a few points behind. This guarantees an exciting three-way battle between the Toyota drivers ahead of the final two rounds of the season.
Current WRC top positions (after the rally):
- 1st Elfyn Evans – 247 points
- 2nd Kalle Rovanperä – 234 points
- 2nd Sébastien Ogier – 234 points
Hyundai driver Tänak held on to important points with third place, but is already well behind in the title race.
Toyota secures manufacturers’ world championship
Thanks to the top performances of its drivers, Toyota has already won the manufacturers’ championship title ahead of schedule. This underlines the team’s dominance in the current season.
Drama and highlights on the special stages
A key event of the rally was Sébastien Ogier’s accident on Saturday. Despite the setback, he made a strong comeback on the final “Super Sunday”, scoring all the extra points – an important contribution to the suspense of the WRC.
Successful drivers from the region
The rally also provided a great stage for local talent:
- In the Junior WRC, Claire Schönborn impressed with a strong fifth place and was the best German participant overall.
- Although Oliver Solberg, who was already crowned champion, won WRC2, the best points went to Czech drivers who shone in front of their home crowd.
A glittering finale for a pan-European rally project
The Central European Rally presented the event region as an attractive motorsport hotspot. Spectators were able to experience motorsport at the highest level at various venues – from the opening ceremony in Bad Griesbach to the Power Days in the Czech Republic and the final award ceremony in Austria.
After three successful editions, the Central European Rally has ended as an official WRC event for the time being. However, the organizers emphasized that international rally sport should continue to return to the region.
Conclusion
Kalle Rovanperä’s victory reignites the title fight. Toyota continues to dominate the manufacturers’ rankings, while the drivers’ championship enters a thrilling finale. The Central European Rally bids farewell to the WRC calendar with a strong sporting and economic success – and leaves fans hoping for a return.