Overview
- Thierry Neuville cut Sébastien Ogier’s advantage to 14.3 seconds in the first test of the final leg at Vieira do Minho, with two Fafe runs and a second pass through Vieira do Minho still to come.
- Ogier ended Saturday 21.9 seconds clear after a rain‑soaked Lousada superspecial that was briefly halted when Joshua McErlean crashed in thick mud and a crane removed his Ford Puma.
- Heavy showers and mud reshaped gaps throughout Saturday, as Ogier dominated a drenched Amarante run by more than 11 seconds to pull away from Neuville.
- Oliver Solberg surged from fourth to first on the wet Paredes stage in the morning, then slipped back after a puncture later in the loop and a spin on the second pass.
- On‑stage incidents and steward actions also moved the order, with Adrien Fourmaux losing the lead after damaging both right‑side wheels in Góis and Elfyn Evans receiving a corrected Arganil 2 time after encountering a trailer on the stage.