The final day of Rally Hungary 2025 was a reminder that in rallying nothing is guaranteed until the finish line. It was also proof that success in this sport takes not only speed and skill, but also a bit of luck.
The day began with Andrea Mabellini in the lead, Roope Korhonen just 10.6 seconds behind, and Simone Tempestini in third, trailing by 30.8 seconds. But no one could have predicted how much the leaderboard would change by the end of the day.
In SS8 (Iszka), Korhonen pushed hard, winning the stage and cutting Mabellini’s lead by 5.4 seconds. He continued his charge in SS9 (Tés) with another stage win, shaving off just 0.1 seconds more. He also topped SS10 (Nagylőtér), but a 10-second penalty for hitting a chicane pushed him back, leaving him 11.9 seconds behind overall.
Tempestini’s morning didn’t go any better. In the same stage, he too received a 10-second penalty for hitting a chicane and also suffered a puncture. The time loss dropped him to sixth place, allowing Mads Østberg to move up to third, 48.9 seconds off the lead.
In the afternoon loop, fortunes shifted again. Although Korhonen only finished 9th in the next stage, he was still 12.6 seconds faster than Mabellini, who came 11th. That was enough to give Korhonen the rally lead, just 0.7 seconds ahead of Mabellini. Sadly, Tempestini’s rally ended here. A damaged rear suspension after going off the road forced him to retire. The fight for third also heated up as Østberg picked up a puncture, giving Miko Marczyk a chance to close in, just 1.3 seconds behind.
Then came a heartbreaking moment for Mabellini in the second-to-last stage: a broken suspension after hitting a large rock forced him to retire from the lead. Østberg moved up to second, 37.0 seconds behind Korhonen, and Marczyk took third, only 4.8 seconds behind Østberg.
In the Power Stage, Philip Allen bounced back to claim the maximum five bonus points with a time of 8:09.3. Armstrong was second, followed by Marczyk, Østberg, and Korhonen.
After an intense and unpredictable final day, here are the final results:
🥇 Roope Korhonen / Anssi Viinikka – 1:50:30.7
🥈Mads Østberg / Torstein Eriksen – 1:51:00.8
🥉 Miko Marczyk / Szymon Gospodarczyk – 1:51:02.1
Now, all eyes turn to the Bauhaus Royal Rally of Scandinavia, taking place from 29 to 31 May, where more ERC action awaits.
Overall Championship Standings after Hungary (rd. 2)
