Sebastien Ogier clinched his ninth World Rally Championship title, pulling off a late-season surge that left Elfyn Evans heartbroken once again after a tense and controversial finish in Saudi Arabia.

Evans arrived in Jeddah with a narrow lead and a real chance to finally grab his first crown, but the finale slipped away from him.

Ogier kept his cool, took third place behind Thierry Neuville, and grabbed enough bonus points to edge past his Toyota teammate by four points when the dust settled on the 14-round season.

For Evans, it’s another painful near miss. For Ogier, it’s yet another addition to an already towering legacy.