Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team’s Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe have broken toyota's win streak and taken victory on a dramatic final day of Rally de Portugal, which saw the crew take the lead on the penultimate stage of the weekend
In dramatic Final-Day twist, Thierry Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe delivered a stunning late turnaround to claim victory at Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2026, ending Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT’s winning streak after a dramatic final day saw the rally lead change hands on the penultimate stage.
The first major gravel test of the 2026 World Rally Championship season once again lived up to its brutal reputation, with Portugal delivering everything that makes it one of rallying’s most iconic events — unpredictable weather, constantly evolving grip levels, punishing stages and hundreds of thousands of passionate fans lining the famous hillsides throughout the weekend.
From the opening stage, it was clear this would be anything but straightforward.
Adrien Fourmaux gave Hyundai an early statement by winning Thursday’s opening proper test, but it was 24-year-old Oliver Solberg who made the strongest opening charge. The young Swede surged into the overall lead after Stage Two and remained quickest through SS3, showcasing both pace and maturity in equal measure.
Despite leading, Solberg remained measured in his approach.
"I just tried to be clean and take it easy," he explained. "We have no service, so you don't want to touch anything. It has been an OK start. It's a long way to go and every day is going to be different."
Behind him, Sébastien Ogier immediately established himself as a serious contender, ending Thursday just 3.4 seconds adrift and firmly in the hunt.
Friday brought massive crowds to legendary stages such as Arganil and Mortágua, but also delivered the first real chaos of the weekend.
Fourmaux briefly moved into the rally lead before disaster struck on SS8 in Góis — a stage that proved punishing for multiple crews. Solberg slid off the road and narrowly avoided rolling his car as conditions deteriorated, while Fourmaux suffered an almost identical moment at the same location.
Brake issues followed by double punctures dropped Fourmaux from first to sixth, leaving him 34.3 seconds behind the lead.
"I lost the brakes, so I couldn’t slow down and we went wide," said Fourmaux. "We checked everything with the car and we carry on. It is part of the rally."
Ogier capitalised perfectly on the chaos to seize overall control by the end of Friday.
Meanwhile, Sami Pajari continued to impress, climbing to third overall despite nursing a damaged windscreen through the latter stages.
Neuville’s Friday was far from perfect, battling balance issues throughout the morning in his Hyundai, but the reigning 2024 world champion kept himself firmly in contention. As conditions evolved, so did his pace, and he ended the day just 3.7 seconds behind Ogier.
Saturday then delivered another brutal twist as rain swept across the stages, transforming the gravel roads into muddy, treacherous battlegrounds.
Solberg produced one of the standout performances of the rally in the rain-hit Paredes stage, storming from fourth into the overall lead with a sensational drive.
But Ogier responded exactly as champions do.
The Frenchman fought back in the worsening afternoon conditions to reclaim control heading into Sunday, setting up a thrilling final-day showdown. Ogier led Neuville by 21.9 seconds overnight, with Pajari, Solberg and Elfyn Evans all still mathematically in the fight.
Sunday looked set to deliver Ogier a record eighth Portugal triumph.
Instead, it delivered heartbreak.
On the penultimate stage of the rally, Ogier suffered a puncture that forced him to stop and change a tyre — costing over two minutes and instantly ending his hopes of victory.
That handed Neuville the lead in dramatic fashion, and the Belgian made no mistake in the closing kilometres to seal Hyundai’s first win of the season after a frustrating outing at Croatia Rally 2026.
"What a weekend," said Neuville.
"It has been crazy out there, and we have faced all kinds of conditions and emotions, but we have been consistent, fighting with the fastest on every stage and never really losing a lot of time.
"This win feels very special. As a team, we have been chasing this result for a while and haven’t been rewarded. I let the team down in Croatia. We needed to fight back, and the rally gods were with us this weekend."
Neuville ultimately finished on top, with Solberg securing a hugely impressive second place just 16.3 seconds behind, while Evans produced a late surge to complete the podium, finishing 12.8 seconds behind Solberg.
For Hyundai, it was a long-awaited breakthrough.
For Ogier, it was cruel heartbreak.
And for the WRC season — it was a reminder that Rally Portugal rarely follows the script.
