French driver Adrien Fourmaux saw his lead at the 2025 Rally Saudi Arabia erased after he incurred a one-minute penalty for checking in early at TC14A, the control point before overnight service.

The sanction wiped out his 2.4-second advantage over Mārtiņš Sesks at the end of the penultimate stage and re-ordered the standings heading into the final leg.

With the penalty applied, M-Sport Ford’s Sesks moves into first place, followed by Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville and Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta.

Fourmaux now sits 57.6 seconds adrift in fourth.

The margin between Sesks and Neuville is a mere 3.4 seconds.

The reshuffle comes amid a tense finish to a chaotic penultimate day, in which both Sesks and Fourmaux sustained tyre damage but managed to finish the stage without stopping.

Officials confirmed the early check-in triggered the penalty under rally regulations stipulating adherence to timing controls.

The final day of the rally will decide not only the event winner but also crown the 2025 world champion — with only three drivers still in title contention.

After the dramatic adjustment, all eyes now fall on the closing three-stage, 41-mile shootout beginning Saturday, where both rally glory and the championship are on the line.