Sébastien Ogier finished Saturday with a 21.9-second lead over Thierry Neuville and put the Rally de Portugal on course to be decided on Sunday unless rain stirs things up again. The gap was built on the second pass through Amarante, the stage where the road surface disappeared under a mix of mud and sharp rocks and Ogier pulled 11.2 seconds on everyone. No other driver came close to that time on the most broken stage of the day.

The Frenchman had started the afternoon loop 0.5 seconds behind Oliver Solberg, who with a flat‑out time on the morning Paredes stage had jumped from fourth to first in one go and left the nine‑time champion puzzled: "I have no idea how that is possible," Ogier said over the radio. That lead lasted Solberg exactly one stage because on Cabeceiras de Basto 2 he hit a rock that punctured his right front tyre and cost him 18.8 seconds. He then added a spin on the repeat of Paredes and fell to fourth place, 49.6 seconds back, with no chance of getting among the top three unless Pajari falters.

Photo By Red Bull Content Pool

The fight for the top 5

Neuville took advantage of the Swede's collapse to move into second, kept the Hyundai i20 N away from the muddy ruts and accepted that Ogier's pace in the wet had no answer. His margin over Pajari is only 3.9 seconds, a gap that leaves the fight for second place open over the 65.56 kilometres on Sunday. Pajari added another error‑free stage and ended Saturday in third overall, 25.8 seconds behind the leader, with the consistency that Elfyn Evans lacked. The Welshman lost 23 seconds on Amarante 2 after tearing off part of the front of his GR Yaris in a spin and finished fifth, 58.2 seconds back.

Adrien Fourmaux won two stages on Saturday and sits sixth, 1:23.8 behind, weighed down by the two tyres he destroyed on Friday in Góis. His pace on wet ground was competitive but a comeback was already out of reach. Takamoto Katsuta found better feelings in the Toyota after applying the advice given to him by Ott Tänak to push without holding back; he finished seventh, and Dani Sordo was eighth on a day the Spaniard described as one of the most difficult he can remember. M-Sport lost Jon Armstrong to a roll on SS15 and Josh McErlean to the barriers on the Lousada super special; Mārtiņš Sesks was the best Ford in ninth place.

Photo By Red Bull Content Pool

WRC2: Suninen resists Solans' pressure

In WRC2 Teemu Suninen defends the lead by 0.9 seconds over Jan Solans. The Finn had built a 19.7‑second advantage after the midday service, but heavier rain on SS18 cut it to the minimum and forced a direct duel on Lousada. Suninen was 2.2 seconds faster than Solans on that pass and regained control. Yohan Rossel, the championship leader, went off 9.8 kilometres into SS18 while pushing to regain third place and put his Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2 out of action. That third place is now held by Roope Korhonen, 47.7 seconds behind Suninen, with Andreas Mikkelsen fourth, 1:05.5 back.

Sunday decides at Fafe

Sunday closes with two passes through Fafe and Vieira do Minho, and the second loop of Fafe will award the extra points of the Wolf Power Stage. The overall order was defined by what happened on Amarante, and moving it would require another storm or an unforgivable mistake.

Sabado - WRC Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2026

POS	#	driver/codriver	team	brand	car	time
1	1	Sébastien OGIER Vincent LANDAIS	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	3:09:13.3
2	11	Thierry NEUVILLE Martijn WYDAEGHE	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Hyundai	I20 N Rally1	+ 21.9
3	5	Sami PAJARI Marko SALMINEN	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt2	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 25.8
4	99	Oliver SOLBERG Elliott EDMONDSON	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 49.6
5	33	Elfyn EVANS Scott MARTIN	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 58.2
6	16	Adrien FOURMAUX Alexandre CORIA	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Hyundai	I20 N Rally1	+ 1:23.8
7	18	Takamoto KATSUTA Aaron JOHNSTON	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 1:35.3
8	6	Daniel SORDO Cándido CARRERA	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Hyundai	I20 N Rally1	+ 3:44.7
9	22	Mārtinš SESKS Renārs FRANCIS	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Puma Rally1	+ 6:47.7
10	55	Joshua MCERLEAN Eoin TREACY	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Puma Rally1	+ 17:06.0
11	27	Teemu SUNINEN Janni HUSSI	Teemu Suninen	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 9:17.8
12	36	Jan SOLANS Rodrigo SANJUAN	Ph.ph	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 9:18.7
13	25	Nikolay GRYAZIN Konstantin ALEKSANDROV	Lancia Corse Hf	Lancia	Ypsilon Hf	+ 9:33.0
14	20	Roope KORHONEN Anssi VIINIKKA	Rautio Motorsport	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 10:06.4
15	29	Andreas MIKKELSEN Jørn LISTERUD	Toksport Wrt	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 10:25.5
16	28	Fabrizio ZALDIVAR Marcelo DER OHANNESIAN	Fabrizio Zaldivar	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 13:21.1
17	37	Mille JOHANSSON Johan GRÖNVALL	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Fiesta Mk Ii	+ 14:03.1
18	30	Eric CAMILLI Thibault DE LA HAYE	Eric Camilli	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 14:10.2
19	34	Mattéo CHATILLON Maxence CORNUAU	Mattéo Chatillon	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 20:25.5
20	58	Bernhard TEN BRINKE Tom WOODBURN	Bernhard Ten Brinke	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 21:04.0
21	38	Yuki YAMAMOTO James FULTON	Printsport	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 21:27.3
22	26	Gus GREENSMITH Jonas ANDERSSON	Gus Greensmith	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 25:13.2
23	44	Armindo ARAÚJO Luís RAMALHO	Armindo Araújo	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 25:26.2
24	35	Romet JÜRGENSON Siim OJA	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Fiesta Mk Ii	+ 26:10.4
25	24	Roberto DAPRÀ Luca GUGLIELMETTI	Roberto Daprà	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 31:28.0
26	46	Ferran JUBANY Alejandro LÓPEZ	Ferran Jubany	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 32:52.1
27	54	Paulo NETO Carlos MAGALHÃES	Paulo Neto	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 33:40.6
28	62	Ugur SOYLU Kutay ERTUGRUL	Gp Garage My Team	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 36:07.9
29	77	Óscar RAL Axel CORONADO	Baporo Motorsport Ca	Skoda	Fabia Evo	+ 37:19.5
30	32	Giovanni TRENTIN Pietro Elia OMETTO	Mt Racing Srl	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 41:56.2
31	23	Robert VIRVES Jakko VIILO	Toksport Wrt	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 43:41.0
32	61	Tiago SILVA Jorge HENRIQUES	Tiago Silva	Skoda	Fabia	+ 44:13.8
33	39	Pablo SARRAZIN Yannick ROCHE	Pablo Sarrazin	Citroen	C3	+ 44:51.8
34	21	Yohan ROSSEL Arnaud DUNAND	Lancia Corse Hf	Lancia	Ypsilon Hf	+ 50:02.4
35	64	Jorge MARTÍNEZ Marcelo BRIZIO	Jorge Martínez	Hyundai	I20 N	+ 61:32.2
36	57	Ricardo FILIPE Filipe CARVALHO	Ricardo Filipe	Skoda	Fabia	+ 62:42.3
37	43	Harry BATES Keaton WILLIAMS	Harry Bates	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 63:39.9
38	59	Adrien MOSCA Julie AMBLARD	Printsport	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 73:46.6
39	41	Tristan CHARPENTIER Loris PASCAUD	Orsák Rallysport	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 90:56.0
40	78	Hugues LAPOUILLE Philippe DEVIENNE	Hugues Lapouille	Skoda	Fabia	+ 118:14.1
41	81	Pierleonardo BANCHER Andrea MARCON	Pierleonardo Bancher	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 122:32.7
42	70	Calle CARLBERG Jørgen ERIKSEN	Calle Carlberg	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 23:48.9
43	73	Gil MEMBRADO Adrián PÉREZ	Gil Membrado	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 24:28.5
44	71	Ali TÜRKKAN Oytun ALBAYRAK	Castrol Ford Team Türkiye	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 26:15.4
45	65	Matteo FONTANA Alessandro ARNABOLDI	Matteo Fontana	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 26:38.3
46	75	Kerem KAZAZ Corentin SILVESTRE	Team Petrol Ofisi	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 27:39.1
47	72	Leevi LASSILA Mikko LUKKA	Leevi Lassila	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 29:07.0
48	68	André MARTÍNEZ Matias ARANGUREN	André Martínez	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 34:47.9
49	66	Eric ROYÈRE Maxime ANDERNACK	Eric Royère	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 41:30.9
50	79	Sylvain TAMISIER Mathieu TAMISIER	Sylvain Tamisier	Renault	Clio Rally3	+ 41:31.0
51	74	Raúl HERNÁNDEZ José MURADO	Raúl Hernández	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 42:48.4
52	76	Craig RAHILL Conor SMITH	Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 101:58.5
53	69	Jarkko NIKARA Tomiya MAEKAWA	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt Ng	Renault	Clio Rally3	+ 124:23.6
54	80	Helder MIRANDA Vitor PEREIRA	Hélder Miranda	Peugeot	208 Rally4	+ 77:39.9